


averescu ϟ | carl grimes gay |

by KingMuhkenzi



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Bottom Carl Grimes, Consensual Underage Sex, Daddy Kink, F/M, FTM, Gay, Gay Carl Grimes, Gay Male Character, Gay Sex, Inspired by The Walking Dead, M/M, Praise Kink, Size Kink, Smut, Trans Carl Grimes, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Underage Sex, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-09-01 12:49:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 25
Words: 49,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16765480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KingMuhkenzi/pseuds/KingMuhkenzi
Summary: Intelligent, sarcastic, and sly, Theodore Averescu has been walking behind Negan since he was born. Murder, gore, and blood became his tastes at a very young age, and it's no surprise that he would be make his old man incredibly proud at the age of twenty-three.Stirring up a plan new plan, Theodore is ordered to report to the local jail, disguise himself as a regular survivor, and collect intel for Negan, the men, and everyone at the compound.If anyone were to interfere with his plan of spying undercover, the young adult would be able to kill them, but everything goes twisted when Carl Grimes steps into the picture, and makes it impossible to only give him 50 days left to live.Pessimistic and sexual, Theodore has Carl blushing in no time, but it's not all an act. Love doesn't exactly exist in the apocalypse, and shining your biggest secret is as good as stepping on a land mine, but how long can he stay undercover when the boy is slowly unveiling Theodore's good-guy qualities any second he gets?❝In case you haven't caught on, I just slipped my dick down your throat and you thanked me for it.❞|| originally posted on wattpad; @kingmuhkenzi ||





	1. one.

Welcome to Averescu. This is a book from my 'Last Name Series '; a series that I have originally posted on my Wattpad account under @kingmuhkenzi.

Basically, the OC in each story is a relative of a character from the show (and sometimes the comics and or video games on a rare occasion). This one in particular will be centered around Negan’s son. We are all aware that Negan's last name isn't known, so that is why I've chosen Averescu.

Please take into understanding that most of my books feature a male adult and an underaged Carl. This is fiction. This is not real. This is imaginary. Carl is a character. This will be my only warning. 

Sincerely — with love, 

**Muhkenzi** (aka **_daddy_** )

☓ ☓


	2. two.

T W O  
T H E O D O R E

"I appreciate your warm hospitality. You don't come by people like you very often."

"Anyone is welcomed to join us. If they're in a sticky situation and want out, they can always come to us."

"I have to be honest with you, I don't have a very good past."

"Is that so?"

"I'm not perfect by any means, I just want to make sure you know that I have baggage, I have guilt, and I have regrets."

"How many walkers have you killed?"

"Shit, a ton. I couldn't even count."

"How many people have you killed?"

"Honestly, I can't count that either."

"Why?"

"There are few things worth living for, a couple things worth dying for, and many things worth killing for."  
I rasp, placing my hands down on the table.  
"The dumber people think you are, the most surprised they're going to be when you kill them."

"After that, do you honestly expect me to trust you around not only my people, but my own children?"

"As a matter of fact, Rick Grimes, I do."

He squints his eyes at me, one of his hands folding into a fist.

"You said it yourself, anyone is welcomed to join you— what makes my situation so different?"

"We don't take strangers in that share the same morals and beliefs as you. I ask three simple questions and I'm not a fan of any of your answers."

"Believe me, it would be better if we didn't meet again. Go back to work, go back to your people, go back to your life. Killing is for grown-ups and you're still a child."

"A child?"  
He repeats, raising his eyebrows.

"Rick Grimes, my time is precious; I don't appreciate being patronized for my past and I don't fuck with people who are against me. You can sit here, bullshit, and look over your shoulder when you turn your back on me because you're afraid, but don't think for one second that I'm under the impression that you're fucking innocent."  
I growl, slowly standing up and leaning over the table slightly.  
"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"I'm intrigued by your aggression and intimidation."

"I'm quite the character, what can I say?"

"I think you'll fit in just fine with the survivors in our prison."

"You know, I much preferred you as a timid monk. Would have made killing you a whole lot more amusing."

"You think you're going to kill me?"  
He scoffs.  
"You should be scrubbing my floors with that attitude."

"Killing people is a lot easier than it should be, staying alive is harder. You should remember that, Rick Grimes."

"I'm fine on advice, I can tell you that."

"You can put a sheriff's hat on a man, but he's still a bitch when the lights go out."

"You should go."  
He suggests.

"Are you familiar with Ares?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you familiar with Ares?"  
I repeat, this time more aggressively.

"I can't say I am."

"He's a god of war, bloodlust, weapons of war, the defence and sacking of cities, rebellion, civil order, banditry, manliness, and courage."  
I explain, tilting my head slightly to the side as I look him dead in the eyes.  
"He's the son of Zeus and Hera."

"Are you a god of war?"  
He questions, clearly stalling for his own well-being.

"Rick Grimes, I'm a god of a lot of things."  
I confess.  
"Death, Karma, Violence, War."

He gulps, quite visibly and shifts his stance.

"Do not side beside me and whine, you double-faced liar."

"Who the hell are you?"

"This planet is dying, the human table is killing it. If the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the Earth survives."

"What do you know?"

"Enough."  
I rasp.  
"Having a gun around is an invitation for someone to shoot you. Are you going to make me shoot you or should I go unpack my things?"

"We have more than enough room."  
He speaks.

"Oh, that's lovely."  
I grin, making my way to the door before looking over my shoulder.  
"Rick Grimes, killing makes me feel good. Don't make me feel good."

"Once you're settled in, don't hesitate to use our facilities for food, water, hygiene."

"You are quite the character, Rick Grimes. I think this is going to be fun."

"You're late."  
Emilio sighs.

"Sorry. I was busy talking about my feelings and killing people."

The man chuckles.  
"We in?"

"We're in."  
I nod.  
"We shouldn't come across any problems, man. Trust me."

"What'd you say in there?"

"He asked three questions, I gave him three answers."  
I shrug.  
"And then he said that when we get unpacked, we're free to use the facilities."

"Why were you gone for so long then?"

"It took him awhile to start, I think he was doing something with his kids or whatever."

"Oh, shit, I almost forgot! You should see his son."

"Oh, yeah?"

"He's a cute lil' white boy."  
He says.  
"Pretty blue eyes, small frame, and he's short, too."

"So, while I was gone, you were standing around checking out the eye candy?"

"Hell yeah."

"He my age?"

"He's probably like seventeen-ish."

I nod.

"He looks like he's in need of a daddy..."  
The man nudges my arm with his elbow.

Chuckling, I shake my head.  
"Haven't even seen this kid."

"You will, and then you'll never take your eyes off of him."

"Does he look like Rick?"

"No, not really."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Neither."  
He says.  
"Rick is hot, and so is his son. They're both properly fuckable."

"That's useful information."  
I smirk.

"We've got this, dude."  
He whispers.  
"We're two steps away from taking this."

"We should hang around for a little while longer."

"Theodore."

"If I get that kid on his knees, it'll drive Rick insane. I'm going to get so far under his skin and that's exactly what we want."

"Okay, I'm all for doing what we're supposed to— but don't bring his son into this. That's fucked up."

"I'm fucked up."

"I know you are."  
He nods.  
"Kid is innocent, though."

"I like innocent."

"Teddy, you've gotta promise me."

"Why does it bother you, man?"

"Because I've been in that same situation."  
He admits.  
"If everything falls into place and you end up on great terms with the kid, then that's awesome— we got the job done and you'll have someone to go home too; but if your technique is crawling under his child's skin just to piss him off, that's evil, even for you."

"Okay, I'll lay off."  
I nod.  
"I promise, you've got nothin' to worry about."

"I knew you'd understand."

"Has Ángel checked in?"

"Yeah, he'll be arriving soon."

"Okay."

"We've got this."

"We've only got one shot, so we better."

"What's the worse that could happen?"  
He raises an eyebrow.

"Someone could come along and kill Rick, and that's not good."

"Okay, good point."

"He needs to be protected at all costs, no matter what."

"Do you mean taking a bullet no matter what, or doing what we can and if it gets fucked then we bail?"

"Do not take a bullet for that man-child."  
I shake my head.  
"Just make sure he stays alive."

"And what about the others?"

"The others?"

"The badass samurai, the pretty hispanic mami, the kids, blah blah blah, you get it."

"Look, I got Rick and I'll protect the kids but the others are out of fuckin' luck."

"Sounds good."  
He nods.  
"I'll let you know when Ángel gets here, I'll come get you."

"You gonna wait outside like a creep?"

"No, I'm going to pretend I'm smoking a blunt and sneak him inside because it'll look suspicious if he pulls up in a fuckin' convertible with the music blasting."

"Okay, see you then."

"See ya."

Taking my bags to an empty cell, I kick the chair over to the wall and drop my things on the floor in the corner.

"Hey."

"Dude, you just left— oh, hey."

"Rick said we gained some new faces today, and thought I'd stop by."

"Theodore."

"My name is Penelope."  
The blonde says. It was unusual because I had no idea that Penelope was a unisex name.  
"Welcome to the prison, it's old, it's cold, but fuck it, it's protected."

"I like forward to getting to know you."

"As do I."  
He smiles.  
"If you're up for company, a lot of the survivors here hide out in their cells or hang around scattered inside." 

"How big is this place?"

"We've got around 50 people, give or take."

"Yeah?"

"People leave sometimes. It's a growing thing. This place could be an infirmary for them, a rehab for them, a temporary safe-house— it's not everyone's forever home, and that's okay."

"Oh, I get it."  
I sigh, sitting down on the bed.  
"Where are you from? I don't recognize your accent."

"Austria."  
He replies.  
"I was born in Sankt Pölten."

"Oh, that's dope, dude."

"If you ever have problems understanding what I say, please don't hesitate to ask me to repeat myself— American English is a bitch to learn and I've only been here for a couple of years."

"No worries."

"Well, I'll see you around, okay?"

"See ya, Penny."

"That's... okay."  
He chuckles.  
"Never been called that before."

"Now you're stuck with it, you're welcome."

"Oh, thank you so much."  
Grinning, he waves and walks away.

I had quite a bit of shit to unpack, so I figured it was worth doing so that I could get it out of the way.

Mesh long-sleeves, black hoodies, leather jackets, ripped jeans, and button-up shirts were all thrown onto the bed next to my boxers and socks before I go into further organization, which definitely wasn't a top priority of mine.

To be honest, I would've been fine stripping down to just boxers and taking a giant fucking nap. Meeting people and hanging around in crowds definitely wasn't something I was interested in at the moment, so I figured staying cooped up in my own, quiet cell would be fine.

I was still incredibly intrigued at the thought of tracking down Rick's son, but thought it was best to wait that out until tomorrow or the day after.

He seemed like a real catch, and how could I ignore him? If he was anything special, he would probably just end up introducing himself to me rather than the other way around.

I'll throw him a smirk, check him out, and probably figure out if he's a hugger or not. I love my job, I love working, but I'm getting fuckin' laid if he's cute.

Taking my boots off, I folded everything and split it up into sections before filling the drawers in the cell, plopping down onto the bed afterwards and throwing my arm over my eyes to block the sunlight peaking in.

"Teddy, really?"

"Fuck off."

"You're sleeping? It's five."

"Fuck off, how about that?"

"Is daddy tired?"

"Fuck the fuck off, how about fuckin' that?"

"Oh, I'm just messin' with you."  
The man yawns, sitting down at the edge of the bed.

"Excuse you."  
I growl.  
"Get off my bed."

"You could at least look at me."

Moving my arm, I glare at him briefly before going back to blocking my eyes.  
"Hi, Ángel."

"You scope this bitch out yet?"

"A little."  
I shrug.

"It's huge."  
He says.  
"Em snuck me in and they are loaded."

"Prisons typically are."

"Shut up."  
He scoffs.  
"You know what I mean."

"Are you still here?"  
I mutter.  
"Fuck off."

"You're the splitting image of your dad."  
He laughs.  
"Grumpy, aggressive, sarcastic, exhausted."

"I'll kill you if you don't leave my cell and let me sleep."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."  
The man replies, patting my leg.  
"Get your beauty sleep, princess. I'll see you later, okay?"

I grunt, barely moving my head in a nod.

"I love you, Tedsters."

"Love you. Bye. Leave me alone."

I heard the rustling of something, and after a few seconds of thinking, I realized it was him pulling the curtain over to block the noise and light from coming into my cell.

Sure, we teased and picked and cussed each other out, but you can't deny the gigantic fuckin' brotherhood the three of us share.

I love em, I hate em.

Fuck everyone.

Goodnight.


	3. three.

T H R E E  
T H E O D O R E

"Theodore."

"I'm sleeping."

"You can't be sleeping if you're talking to me."

"I was sleeping."  
I mutter.  
"What do you want?"

"I have news."

"Can it wait?"

"No."

"You better be fuckin' dying, Emilio. What do you want?"  
Groaning, I remove the arm covering my eyes and glare at the Hispanic man at the doorway.

"You have a job now."

"Excuse me?"

"Rick said that they're missing shifts in the watch tower, so he's assigning you to work up there tonight." 

It's silent.

"Stop glaring at me."

"You woke me up to tell me that some old man wants me to work his fucking shift?"

"It's not Rick's shift, I never said it was Rick's shift."  
He explains.  
"I said they were missing shifts, I never specified whose it was."

"They have like fifty people who could work for them. I'm not here to work for these peasants."

"If you want to fit in, you're going to have to do some actual work. Right now, almost everyone is afraid of you."

"What's wrong with that?"  
I furrow my eyebrows.  
"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It is when it's interfering with what we need to do. You can't be everyone's fear, that's not okay. You can't do that here."

"If they're afraid of me, I can't change that. It's their problem, not mine."

"Theodore, get off of your ass and help me out here."

"I fuckin' got you here, hijo de puta!"  
I growl.  
"I don't owe you anything."

He sighs, coming to sit down at the edge of the bed.  
"Teddy, please. We're here for a reason."

"You want me to go stand in the shadows in a goddamn watch tower?"

"You won't be the only one."  
He says.  
"Rick's son will be there, too."

"I'll do it."

"Really?"  
He groans.  
"You couldn't have said that, like, four minutes ago?"

"Well, I didn't know his son was going to be involved."

"Theodore..."

"That kid is mine."  
I speak, putting on my socks and boots.  
"You and Ángel can have the others, but you better leave the boy to me."

"Why are you so interested in him? You've never even met him."

"Because it's fuckin' perfect, Lio."  
I smirk.  
"It's so fuckin' perfect."

"Are you going to explain?"  
He asks.  
"You're always three steps ahead of everyone, and I'm still using my training wheels."

"Listen to me, mijo— you just have to keep bein' you. When have I ever let you down?"

"Never."

"What was that?"

"You've never let me down, Teddy."

"Exactly. Relax."  
I husk, placing my hands on his thighs.  
"Let me take care of this, I promise I've got it under control."

"You have to tell me what you're doing, I can't be out of the loop."

"I'm going to get to know Rick Grimes' lovely son that I've heard such wonderful things about."  
Winking, I give him a kiss on the forehead and stand up straight.  
"Everything is going to fall into place, buddy."

"I trust you."

"I trust me too."  
I nod.  
"I love you more than the sky and the stars, Emilio."

"I love you more than the ocean and the waves, Theodore."

It was already sundown, so I would have to go into work within the next hour or so, which gave me the perfect opportunity to get to know some of the survivors in the prison.

There was an interesting smell coming from one of the cells that I had been walking towards, so I decided to peek my head in and check it out.

You know in the movies when they have really dramatic entrances for people, and they show some bright light shining down on them like they're a god or goddess? This was sort of like that.

It was a me, a girl, and her rockin' body. Her skin looked soft and I would be lying if I said the curve of her breasts under the lacy material wasn't delicious.

This was the source of the smell and quite honestly, it was my entertainment for the night.

The air was polluted with the scent of cotton candy, and it lingered around my nose for awhile, even after I started to walk away. I had gotten a few mental images that I was quite pleased with.

Since it was later in the day, most of the survivors were laying low or hiding in their cells. They were either getting close to relaxing until bedtime or doing some other shit that I really didn't care about.

I'm an insomniac. I have PTSD. I've had my fair share of night terrors— basically, I sleep when I can and where I can. The three hour nap that I had just woken up from would serve as enough adrenaline to run on for the rest of the night.

Luckily, I stumbled upon the kitchen, and there was only a few people in there which surprised me. It was more than likely a good thing, it would go to show if there were any fuckin' fatasses in this facility.

"Hi, beautiful."  
I husk, leaning up against the counter.  
"I don't believe we've met yet."

"Oh, hello! My name is Harmony!"  
He smiles, voice chirpy and pure. I was almost certain that he had some sort of southern twang that was wearing off but still served a significant amount in the tone of his voice.  
"It's very nice to meet you, sir."

"It's truly my pleasure, I'm Theodore."

"You're the new guy that everyone is talking about."  
He grins.  
"They're all really scared of you, sir, did you know that?"

"Do you believe in spooks, bubba?"

"I like scary."

"I can do scary, trust me."

"Would you like a salad? I'll can you one if you'd like."

"Thank you."  
I nod.  
"I'd appreciate that."

"Have you figured out if you're staying long-term or is this just a temporary home for you?"

"I'm going to stay around for as long as I need."

"I think you'll like it here. We're very keen on treating everyone like family."  
He explains, beginning to make me one helluva salad.

I wonder if he'd let me toss his salad.

"I've been here for a long time, and I hope I never have to leave."

"You must like it here a lot."

"I love it here."

"I love it that you love it here."

He giggles, a very pink blush covered his freckled cheeks.  
"Are you from around here?"

"I'm practically from everywhere."  
I shrug.  
"I've been places, seen things— I'm looking for a forever home, I just haven't found it yet."

"Well, I don't know if it's worth anything, but I think it would be great if you stayed here with us. I know we don't know each other very well, but you get these people scared, and talkative, and it brings personality into the mix."

"Well, I'm glad that you can enjoy that fact that I terrify your people."

He smiles.

"How old are you?"

"I'm fifteen years old, I just turned fifteen three months ago."

"Happy belated birthday."

"Thank you!"

"You're incredibly intelligent for your age, I must admit."  
I rasp.  
"You're calm, and you're realistic."

"I have really bad anxiety and I get nightmares a lot, but sometimes you have to be your own superhero and that gets you through the days."  
He confesses.  
"To be honest, Mister Theodore, I'm really tired of being my own superhero."

"How about I become your superhero?"  
I suggest, furrowing my eyebrows.  
"I'll fight crime, I'll tuck you into bed, I'll read you bedtime stories, but most importantly, I'll keep you and your people safe. What do you think about that?"

"We need a miracle here, sir."  
He looks up at me.  
"Please be the superhero we all need."

I place my elbow on the counter, raising my pinkie.  
"Give me your pinkie, bubba."

"Okay."  
He nods, doing exactly what I asked.

"If you're scared, you come to me. If you're sad, you come to me. It doesn't matter what emotion you're feeling, you come to me."  
I explain.  
"I'm on your side. I'm your protector. I'm your god, okay?"

"A lot of people say god isn't real..."

"Look me in the eyes, now."

Looking up at me with big, doe-like green eyes, I couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm your god, Harmony. Everything you need, I have it. I can give it to you."  
I husk, leaning closer to his face.  
"If you wake up in the middle of the night because of nightmares or if you can't fall asleep, you come to my self and I will make all of your problems go away. Every negative feeling in your body, I will take it and give you positivity."

"Will you leave me?"  
He frowns.  
"Will you leave us?"

I shake my head.  
"No, bubba. I won't leave you."

"I believe in you, sir."

"You found your superhero, you know that?"

He nods, cheesing hard.

"We're Pinkie-Partners now, I owe myself to you, and you owe yourself to me." 

"Of course. I understand."  
He unhooks his pinkie from mine and wraps his arms around my shoulders, standing on his tip-toes.  
"Thank you, Mister Theodore. Thank you so much. I'm so happy that you found us!"

People lose faith so quickly these days, and they all make it seem like it lost forever typically. When you run into that kind of situation, all you have to do is become the king of that atmosphere.

Be someone people fear, be someone people look up to, be the one person that everyone needs.

It's easy. Survival can be easy. It's strategy that always gets people. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to give some false hope, but it takes a fuckin' genius to get everyone to believe in something that you can make happen.

Harmony has grown up in the middle of a piece of shit world, and all he knows is heartbreak, survival, and trust— and that is something that children these days shouldn't have to worry about. Kids should all be protected, they should be cared for, paid attention to, and loved. They need to realize that they have meaning.

My entire goal was to make sure Harmony knew that he was special and that he was worth so much more than the average kid that no one blinks an eye at.

It's like a fairytale. The townspeople always needs someone to look up to. Harmony can now look at me as his everything, his world, his protector, and his god.

I have sprinkled hope onto this child who was only lost for a little bit, but suffered consequences from not being able to heal properly. I'm his healer, I'm his caretaker, I can give him everything he needs and take away everything he hates.

Ángel, Emilio, and Harmony all have something in common. They've been lost before, they've missed opportunities to get back what they once loved. If I was there to help them, who knows where they would be. Who says they'd even still be living?

My love, healing, protection, and happiness can now be shared with someone new. Harmony is an innocent and pure soul that deserves to be treated like royalty. He deserves to be treated like a princess and a prince.

Rick Grimes has been doing a terrible job at getting these people to believe in him. Rick Grimes hasn't been doing his job at making sure they know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there is a rainbow after the storm, and that it is okay to need someone to look to for help and guidance.

This man deserves to be overthrown, forgotten, and treated the way he has been treating these poor people. He's taken away their happiness, their worth, their importance, and has since shoved it so far up his ass you can practically see it pulsing in his throat. 

Rick Grimes is not the leader they need him to be.

I am the god they need me to be.


	4. four.

F O U R  
T H E O D O R E

"Reading in the dark affects eyesight."

"Oh my god!"  
The boy squeaks, nearly jumping out of his skin, clutching the book against his chest.  
"You scared me!"

"Sorry."  
I chuckle.  
"Theodore— it's a pleasure."

"Carl Grimes, sir. It's very nice to meet you."  
He waves.  
"You're not going to tell my dad, are you?"

"What, that you're reading instead of guarding the jail like you're supposed to be?"

He nods.

"Not a snitch, sweetheart."  
I shake my head.  
"Regardless, I couldn't care less."

"I'm surprised that you're working, usually we don't give new survivors work until a few days or weeks in."

"I'm pretty sure this is my payment for having a cell here."

"We're a free community, mister."

"Nothing is free anymore, baby."

"If it makes you feel any better, it's nice having someone else here."  
He admits.  
"It's very lonely up here."

"Are you always up here by yourself?"

"Pretty much."  
The boy nods.  
"Everyone who used to be up here with me has either left or passed away."

"How old are you?"

"I'm fifteen."

"Your dad is going to let his little boy patrol an entire watch tower all by himself in the dark?"  
I furrow my eyebrows.  
"Do you believe in spooks, buddy?"

"I-I can handle myself."

"Oh, yeah?"

"I've taken on men your size in the past!"  
He says.  
"Three or four of them! I've done it all by myself, too!"

"I'm flattered to be an object of your imagination."

"It's not my imagination."

"How'd you do it?"  
I ask, coming closer to him.  
"Did you slit their throats and lick the blood off of your knife like a fuckin' sociopath? Did you grab their cocks with your little hands and pull until the skin on their balls ripped?"

"You are very violent and sad, mister."

"Sad?"

"You don't have a grin on your face and you see the world in a bad way."

"I see the world in a realistic way, sweetheart."

"I don't like to think that way."  
He shakes his head, putting his knees to his chest to give me a place to sit in front of him.  
"It makes me really upset and then my anxiety blows through the roof. You can be logical without being all-out realistic and assuming everyone is bad."

"I don't think you've been hurt in the past, Carl Grimes."

"I've been very hurt in the past, Mr. Theodore."

I scoff, sitting down next to him.

"You're a pessimist and that's not a good attitude to have."

"I'm realistic."

"You're pessimistic."  
He repeats.  
"With all due respect, you are more than welcomed to try to sugar coat it and twist my words, but you are pessimistic."

"You're smart for your age."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'm hardly 24, don't make me feel older than I already am."

"You are older than me, you're a grown man, and you're my boss— you are very much a sir."

I tilt my head to the side, slowly swiping my tongue across my bottom lip, just barely squinting my eyes at him.

"What do you do all day, buddy?"  
I ask.  
"What does a kid your age do for fun in this shitstorm of a world?"

"I love to read, and I really like to think about having a family of my own one day."  
He admits.  
"I love kids, I've always been really good with them."

"What kind of books do you like to read?"

"I love fantasy, but I also really like anthology, autobiographies, and encyclopedias."

"Goddamn, you are the smartest 15 year old I know."  
I confess.  
"Fuck it, you're intelligent, not even smart."

He blushes, even though it was hardly noticeable in the very dim lit room.

"What do you like to do, mister? What do 24 year olds do for fun? I know it's definitely not cleaning guns and checking ammunition."

"I fuckin' love spirituality."  
I rasp.  
"Other than that, I argue with myself and contemplate the concept of time."

"You argue with yourself? I-I don't understand what you mean."

"It's a lot like the aforementioned inner voice, I have accepted that my own brain will make careless mistakes all the time, most of which usually go unnoticed until way after the mistake has been made."  
I explain, finding interest in how intent he looked at me, clearly very focused on listening to what I was saying.  
"This is why I understand that every serious action should be double checked before it's committed, even if I don't feel the need to."

"Oh, okay."  
He nods.

"I purposely initiate minor arguments with myself just to be 100% sure that I've done the right thing. Since I am at peace with the flaws of my own brain being ready for it to mess up by ignoring a simple fact or forgetting the rules of a system I'm already familiar with."

"So... smart people stuff?"

"Excuse me?"

"Instead of having fun, you do things even intellectuals wouldn't be intelligent enough to do."

"Spot on, bucko."

"I understand it, sir. I like to sit in the shadows and in my own cell and be by myself because that's just how I like it."

"Carl Grimes, do people often mistake you for just some average kid?"

"A lot."  
He replies.  
"Basically all the time."

"You're not an average kid by any means."  
I assure.  
"I see how mature, intelligent, and I understand how baroque your brain is."

"Adults don't like to sit down and have conversations with their leader's kid. It just isn't something in their agenda."

"I will sit down and have a conversation with you."

He smiles.

"I'm fuckin' intelligent, and that allows me to see that you are severely above average."

"Thank you for talking to me, Mr. Theodore."

"Don't settle for average, Carl Grimes. Do not ever dumb yourself down for some fuckin' moron whose twice your age."  
I sigh.  
"People are going to walk all over you and manipulate you, and the world is going to chew you up and spit you out, but I want you to remember that you are a fuckin' genius, and you are way ahead of your time."

My objective in life was to make people realize their worth and make sure they know their importance in life and in self-confidence.

If you are an ignorant piece of shit, you have no importance and you should sell your soul to the man in a black petticoat.

If you are an intellectual, highly intricate, and unappreciated— you are important and everything you know will need to be written and put into books because you are what keeps the world spinning. You are the epitome of beauty, intelligence, and excessively sentimental. You need to be treasured, because you are everything but ordinary.

I realized that we spent a majority of the time having that conversation, and before I knew it, his pager was going off, signaling that it was time for him to get back inside and be done with his shift.

I could tell he didn't want to go, he was very hesitant and clearly wanted to stay and chat by the looks of his mannerisms and body movements.

"Mr. Theodore?"

"Yeah?"

"I don't know how long you're planning on staying, but please make it indefinite. You are the best thing that the prison has seen and had in a very long time."

"Carl Grimes, I will stay here as long as you want me to."

"Okay."  
He nods, smiling.  
"Goodnight, mister. Please sleep tight, and I will see you tomorrow morning during breakfast."

"You have a good night sleep, okay? Count those fuckin' sheep or whatever."

He was giggling, so of course I had to smirk. Heading the kid laugh was like music to my ears. Who the hell knew that one simple giggle could turn out to be the most interesting and unfamiliar thing in the entire world. It was a laugh, obviously, but it served a very different meaning to me.

Once I was up there all alone, I actually had to pay attention to what was happening outside and hopefully be able to shoot someone or something.

"Teddy, we're switching."

"What?"  
I sneer.  
"Oh, hey."

"I just passed Rick's son a little bit ago."

"Gorgeous."  
I mumble.  
"So fuckin' intelligent and nervous and gorgeous."

"Do not get distracted."  
He begs.  
"Teddy, I need you to stay focused."

"I've never been more focused, Emilio. I've fuckin' got this, brother. I will do everything we're supposed to, and still have a fuckin' blast."

"If I come to your cell in the morning, you better already be eating breakfast instead of sucking tits and licking pussies."

"Breakfast of a champion."

He scoffs.

"Oh, come on. Don't be a stupid motherfucker, Emilio. You know how I roll. You know I can handle business and a party. That's why I'm so good at what I do. I trained you."

"I trust you."  
He smiles.  
"Ángel and I both trust you so much."

"Good."  
I ruffle his hair before kissing him a kiss on his forehead and making sure he looks me directly in the eyes.  
"I promised you that I'd split the world in half and give you the right side. I'm not breaking my promise."

"Theodore, I love you more than all the stars in the sky."

"Emilio, I love you more than pussy and vodka."

Heading back to the most luxury lacking cells in human history, I pull the bars closed and slide my curtain over. Privacy is always needed.

Everything had to come off. Before I knew it, I was standing almost naked in the middle of the room, eventually grabbing my sweatpants and black hoodie.

Once I was finished washing my face and brushing my teeth, I decided on stealing the pillow from inside the dresser. I climb under the covers, place the new pillow on top of the old one and try my best to fall asleep.

It had to've been at least one or two in the morning, but before I knew it, I was hearing the very soft patter of footsteps.

In no time at all, I was lifting my arm up and making sure Harmony snuggled up comfortably.

His little feet were cold from the freezing prison floor, and his button nose was a faint red and outrageously chilly.

He had been crying, which I went ahead and assumed was night terrors or a bad dream. Regardless, he was more than welcomed to come lie in bed with me.

Touching the tip of his nose with mine, I gently rub my hand up and down his back, whispering sweet nothings to him to try and attempt to get his shaking body to calm down.

I was taking the negativity, terror, anxiety, and fright away from him and giving it to myself. I gave him my soothing mind, slow thoughts, and collected breathing.

I needed to make sure everything bad was swept away from his body and mind and given to me. I promised to make his problems all go away, and I most certainly wasn't breaking that fucking promise.

Fortunately, I had the boy cuddled up, warm, and mellowed out in no time at all. It was clear that he didn't have the best luck with sleeping alone or comfortably, so if I was able to give him a good night sleep, it was so fuckin' worth it— even if it was only for one night.

"I love you more than all of the raindrops that have ever fallen, bubba. I promise you positivity, affection, and importance. Anyone who has ever hurt you will never see another sunrise, and I promise you all the love in my body until the end of time."  
I whisper, slipping my hand beneath his t-shirt for the skin to skin contact he would need.  
"If you are not happy, I will not be happy. I will give you everything you will ever need and anything you will ever want. You are my beautiful prince, and I will forever cherish you."


	5. five.

F I V E  
T H E O D O R E

"Good morning, mister."

"It's just another day, baby boy."  
I shrug, biting down on the fork in my hand.

"Do positive and optimistic things poison you?"

"No, I just choose not to fuck with 'em."

"It wouldn't hurt to smile once in a while."  
He replies, spreading some maple syrup over his pancakes.   
"Would it?"

"Yes."  
I nod.  
"Smiling is like a parasite— it eats my fuckin' insides so that I slowly die a miserable and heinous death." 

"You are a very violent man, Mr. Theodore."  
He tilts his head to the side, staring at me with those pretty blue eyes.  
"You have a lot of tattoos, I wasn't expecting that— there are so many."

"I'm a violent man because I have tattoos?"

"What? No!"  
He squeaks, shaking his head.  
"That's not what I'm saying!"

"I'm just fuckin' with you, sweetheart."  
I chuckle, stabbing the fork down into the blueberry waffles on my plate.  
"27."

"What?"

"I have 27."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"Is that even possible?"

"Hell yeah."

"Can I ask you why you have piercings?"

"Because I like them?"

"But, we kill walkers every single day of our lives. Why bother with eyebrow, nose, and lip piercings?"

"It's an aesthetic, yeah?"  
I raise an eyebrow.  
"It used to be a ranking system, but I've made it fit into my aesthetic."

"A ranking system?"

"Nose for Gold, Eyebrow for Platinum, and Lip for Diamond."

"I don't get it, mister."

"Okay."  
I grumble, taking a deep breath.  
"When someone goes into the military, they're more than likely starting out as a Private."

"Yeah."

"Private E-2, Private First Class, Corporal— you rank up, you get new opportunities and benefits, and badges."  
I explain.  
"Think of every piercing— and some tattoos to an extent— as a badge and rank."

"So, you were in a gang?"

"No."  
I shake my head.  
"No, I was not."

"Oh."  
He nods.  
"You're still in a gang."

"It's not a gang, Carl Grimes."  
I sneer, watching him frown and immediately unclenching my jaw and relaxing my expression.  
"It shows worth, baby."

His mood shifted, his shoulders slouched, and it was obvious he thought I was mad at him— which I wasn't.

"Hey."  
I coo, reaching for his hand.  
"Hey, look at me— I'm sorry for getting an attitude with you. I don't have the best disposition, if I'm honest."

"You're mad at me, sir."

"I'm not angry with you in the slightest. You're a curious kitten, sweetheart, I just have to get used to all the questions."

"You were in a gang, mister."

"I wouldn't word it like that."

"How would you word it, Mr. Theodore?"

"A religious group."

"There is no way in heck that you're religious."  
He confesses.  
"With all due respect, you are not a man of God."

"Who said it had anything to do with God?"

"You're obviously not affiliated with Buddha because you're a gigantic grump, and you're just some white man, and that cancels out most religious leaders."

"I'm biracial, but okay."

"And you were in a gang."  
He grins, looking at me with his typical doe-eyed expression.  
"It's okay, I still like you, Mr. Theodore."

"Think of it as—"

"A gang."

"A way of life."

"A gang."

"A lifestyle."

"A gang."

I sigh.  
"Carl Grimes, I promise you that I am not in a gang. I never have been, I never will be."

"Why aren't you eating?"  
He asks, skipping onto a new topic like it was no big deal.  
"You keep stabbing your food, that's not very kind, mister."

"Okay, baby, I'll stop."  
I rasp.  
"Not too hungry in the mornings."

"Do you not like waffles? I can make you something else—"

"You definitely do not need to make me breakfast. I'm a grown ass man, I'll eat what is served."

"I really don't mind."

"Don't worry about it, baby boy."

"Are you working tonight?"

"Yeah, you gonna be there with me?"

"I should be. It may only be for two and a half hours though, because I still have a bedtime."

His innocence was getting to me. Everything about him was so pure, genuine, and untouched. If there ever comes a time where I don't smile while in his presence, there is something wrong with me.

"I'll take two and a half hours over none at all."

"I wish I could stay up longer like all the big kids."

"You need your sleep. Let the adults do all the boring shit, let yourself rest and relax."

"I'm fifteen and my dad still gives me a bedtime, sir."

"Don't knock it— when you're older, you'll wish for that fuckin' bedtime, boy."  
I say.  
"I'll make your bedtime earlier if you keep whinin' about it."

"You can't do that, mister."

"Watch me, pumpkin."

He squints his eyes at me.  
"You're weird, Mr. Theodore."

"And you're a dork."

The rest of my day consisted of writing a long list of ways to kill someone and contemplating the element of life. Time was always on my side, and that's why I was happy to know that I had all the time in the world to waste before having to go to work.

I didn't really care for working in the watch tower since it's way too rare to get the chance to kill someone, which is everything I want to do— but having Carl Grimes there was the only thing that would end up keeping me sane and collected.

I keep that kid on his toes, but he keeps me on more of a constant watch. I'm always making sure to check my surrounds and watch my own back, but having a highly intellectual, disciplined, and respectful young man by my side made it worth every second.

He's more intelligent, genuine, and mature than half of the grown ass adults I've known in my entire life. He's got a killer sense of humor, a ton of compassion, and he knows how to have a really excellent fuckin' time.

"What in the fuck are you doin', boy?"

"Look at the Christmas lights, mister!"  
He squeaks, pointing to where he was looking through the window.  
"Do you see them? Rosita and Abraham put them up on the trailer so that everyone down there would have some light."

"It's not even close to fuckin' Christmas."

"But the lights are pretty!"  
He groans.  
"Look!"

"I am— I'm lookin'!"

It's quiet for a few moments as I watched the boy's eyes widen each time the lights finished their routine cycle. It was a comfortable silence, and even though it was fantastic, I had to break it.

"You smell like cotton candy and strawberries."  
I mumble.

"You say that like you don't like cotton candy and strawberries."

"I've just never been around someone that smells like that."  
I furrow my eyebrows.  
"I mean, ya smell great, baby, I promise, but it's just uncommon."

"You smell like manly cologne, sir."  
He replies.  
"It's nice, but I recommend strawberry or cotton candy if you really want to get compliments."

"Such a fuckin' smartass."  
I chuckle, shaking my head.

Sitting down next to him, he straightens up his posture and looks over at me.

"You have very sad eyes."

"I've got sad eyes?"

"Mhm."  
He nods.  
"You just look like you're hopeless and disappointed and it makes me sad."

"People typically tell me I'm a sad man, but I don't agree with them."  
I admit.  
"I can smile, and laugh, and enjoy life, and I haven't wanted to kill myself since I was 16."

"You can smile and laugh and still be sad, Mr. Theodore."  
He says, very softly.  
"If you're hurting, the only person who can fix that is yourself, and sometimes a friend or a loved one. I don't think that you've had a very easy life and I think you've worked really really hard to get where you're at now, and, sir— your eyes are super pretty, but they're still sad."

"I think the world would be a better place if there were more of you around."

He shakes his head.  
"I get in the way a lot, and I think I stress people out, and they say that I talk too much and ask too many questions."

"And I think they're ignorant and insecure."

The boy smiles.

"Don't ever apologize or feel like you have to change yourself just to please other people. You will realize that the world is hard to swallow, and even though people will spit you out like poison, and the world will too, I hope you know that you're perfect the way you are. I think you're perfect, and I don't think you need to change."  
I confess.  
"You ask a lot of questions and you talk a lot and you have the attention span of a fly and you don't know how to sit still or hold a conversation without changing the topic after a few minutes, but that's you. You're the most perfect you that you could ever be, and I don't ever want to see you change."

"Mr. Theodore, you don't treat me like a nuisance, and you don't tear me down and make me feel incompetent."  
He whispers.  
"Do you know how long it's been since someone has had an in-depth conversation with me?"

"I care about you."  
I reply.  
"My eyes will forever be watching you because you are precious and I want to see you succeed."

I wasn't expecting him to lean forward and wrap his arms around my shoulders, giving me a very tight hug. He was so small, and light, and cuddly, and I couldn't pass up the chance to give him the biggest hug in history.

"Carl, I need to speak with Theodore."  
A man mumbles, and I wanted to stab myself in the ears just so that I wouldn't have to hear him.  
"Head out, okay?"

Carl hesitates, and I could tell it was making Rick rage.

"Why don't you go to sleep, yeah? I'll see you in the morning for breakfast, sweetheart, and I tell you all about tattoos you were curious about."  
I grin.  
"Go on and get some rest."

"Okay."  
He nods.  
"Goodnight, please sleep tight and I will see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, count your sheep, stay warm, and get that beauty sleep, baby boy."

Once he walked off, Rick slams the door behind him and squints his eyes at me.

"That is my son, you will not cut me off and tell him what to do."

"You do realize he listened to me and not you, right?"  
I chuckle, standing up.

"You're overstaying your welcome."  
He says.  
"You are a guest in my facility."

I scoff.  
"I'm more of that boy's daddy than you will ever be."

"You are crossing the wrong line, Theodore! That is my son! Mine!"

"We had a deal, Grimes!"  
I growl.  
"You get down on your knees for me like a good girl and I won't say a single fuckin' thing to Carl about what you did."

He gulps, shifting his stance.

"Count your blessings, Rick Grimes."  
I husk, slowly walking past him.  
"Motherfucker, don't play with me. You will not win."

"Don't say a thing to Carl."  
He whispers.

"I don't take orders from you, old man. You work for me."  
I chuckle, opening up the door.  
"You're my fuckin' bitch, and I'm going to take your power right from fuckin' under you."

I had things to do. I had places to be, and I was already running a little late.

Marching past all the stupid bitches in the prison, I jog up the steps, locate my cell, and shut the bars behind me.

"I was promised cake!"  
Harmony sighs.  
"You said it, Emilio! You said we'd have cake."

"I didn't lie!"  
The Spanish man groans.  
"We're having cake!"

"Bubba, we're going to have so much fuckin' cake."  
I husk, leaning towards him and making sure to speak clearly into his ear. I dipped my middle finger into the red paint and slowly drew a cross on his forehead.  
"Don't you worry about a fuckin' thing, sweet pea. You can lick that icing right off of me."


	6. six.

S I X  
T H E O D O R E

"Mon maître, you've come back."

"My dear loves, politicians are all designed to shame your motivation. They believe without upbringings, there can be no diseases."  
I announce, looking at the beautiful people in front of me.  
"When the world ends, what we have hated will become something no longer hated. Love, to some people, can not be worth it; but fear— pure fear— is worth it in every way."

They all begin to nod and smile.

"If you are worth it, you will be those who befriend the elite. You are not as sick as the couples who befriend crowds."

"Absolutely."

"The simple fact that you are irresponsible makes you unspeakable, but if you want to built an empire, you want more than just reality."  
I continue.  
"Blame the self-delusion, not standards."

Once they all begin to cheer, claps their hands together, and show adoration and genuine expressions of happiness, I slowly reach over and grab the tall bottle of vodka.

Unbuttoning my dress-shirt, I allow it to fall to the floor next to my boots. Their eyes read interest, love, and desperation; it was my duty to give them everything they need.

"When your world is crashing down, burning and you're at your all time low—"  
I husk, carefully pouring a tad of vodka on my chest, letting it trail down my abs and stomach.  
"Why not feel submissive?"

Harmony Michelson, my beautiful little prince, was up first. This was his very first convocation, and it had to be special in every single way possible.

Our youngest baby, our treasured angel, our very own miracle from the heavens.

He gave me those innocent, doe-like eyes as he got down on his knees, and very slowly began to lick the wet trail up my body, stopping at my collarbone and standing back up straight.

I hold onto his cheeks very gently, lean down, and press a loving kiss down on his pouty, pink lips.

Dipping my middle finger into the wooden bowl of fresh red paint, I begin to draw the cross on his forehead, making sure he made eye contact with me the entire time.

"My sweet, sweet prince— today I stow upon you many more years of intelligence, beauty, and love. You have pledged to give me your soul, your body, and your mind— none of which will ever be taken advantage of or treated disrespectfully."  
I husk.  
"I love you more than an angel loves the heavens."

"Thank you, daddy."  
He whispers, voice soft, shy and gentle as always.  
"I love you more than anything in the whole wide world."

Showing him back to his seat, I allow the others to show him their love and appreciation by making sure they each give him the gift of a kiss on the cheek.

"Kreighton, my honey bee, please step forward."

Doing as I say, he bows in front of me and gets down on his knees.

As soon as the vodka touched my naval, his pink tongue poked out past his lips and ran and strip up my chest.

He, too, was given a passionate kiss and the crimson red cross.

"My brilliant baby, today I stow upon you elegance, knowledge, and compassion. You have pledged to give me your soul, your body, and your mind— none of which will ever be taken advantage of or treated disrespectfully."  
I whisper.  
"I love you more than trees love water."

"Thank you, mon maître. I love you more than my next breath."

Emilio, Ángel, and Penelope all followed suit, doing everything they're supposed to, which made me incredibly proud and happy.

They were all given sinned vodka, a loving kiss on the lips, and the cross painted on their foreheads. They all looked so beautiful, so loving, and so passionate.

These boys were the reason I was able to breath every single day. They give me strength, adoration, affection, and anything and everything else.

Giving myself the cross, I get down on my knees like the rest of them and place my hands together in a praying style.

"We have the potential to take over the world and make it ours, but why should we stop there?"  
I recite.  
"My loves, I love you more than every I love you ever spoken, whispered, or thought."

When finished, I blow all of the candles out, store the vodka in a safe place, and pour the paint into a new tube. They were all allowed to leave, but they each insisted on giving me a warm hug before going out to spend the rest of their nights doing whatever they pleased, using fresh water to christen and remove the crosses from their skin.

It was around 8 or 9 o'clock at night and unsurprisingly, most survivors were hiding out or getting ready to go to bed. Learn to fuckin' live a little.

I decided to use this time to work out for a while. The facility had one of the best gyms I had seen in a long time. It was fully functioning, and wasn't typically busy by any means.

"Theodore."

"That's me."  
I huff, jumping up to grab onto the bar above me.  
"What do you want?"

"We haven't properly met yet."  
The man says, a very thick English accent over his words.  
"Castello."

"It's a pleasure."

"I've noticed your relationship with Harmony."

"Kid's a genius, give him a chance."  
I admit.

"Yeah, no shit."  
He scoffs.  
"I brought him over from Iraq a few years ago."

The statement makes me release the bar from my hands and sends me straight to my feet.

"What?"

"Commander Hollingsworth."  
He rasps, holding his hand out.

"Navy?"  
I furrow my eyebrows, shaking his hand.  
"You've got the anchor behind your ear."

"Okay, I'll cut the bullshit—"  
He growls.  
"What the fuck are you doing?"

"Excuse me?"

"You think you're getting away with your satanic ass occult meetings?"  
The man grabs me by my arm and shoves me towards one of the corners of the room that wasn't easily seen unless you were really looking.  
"Are you fuckin' kidding me, Theodore?"

"Look, I'm spreading my expertise."

"Sloppily."

"Okay, don't be rude."  
I shake my head.

"If you're ever going to be half the man your daddy is, I'd suggest you look over your shoulder and take in your fuckin' surroundings."  
He scolds, aggressively.  
"It looks really fuckin' suspicious when Penelope, Harmony, Kreigh, and the three of you are suddenly vanishing from everyone's view."

"This is way easier than I thought it was."  
I confess.  
"Rick Grimes is so out of his fuckin' element, you should see him shaking in his boots."

"Look, the next time you wanna hide in the shadows and paint blood crosses on your foreheads, let me know." 

"I can handle this."  
I whisper.  
"You know I can."

"I know you can, sweetheart, but I've noticed several major mistakes so far— don't be everything Ángel is trying to teach you, be your own person because someone is gonna slip up and it's gonna look really fuckin' bad."

"Cas, I've got Harmony, Ángel, Penelope, Kreighton, and Emilio, but I can't extend it. If you're seeing mistakes now, getting the others is going to draw more attention."

"Bravo, Teddy."  
He nods.

"I know who you need to call, but I can't be the one that tells Ángel to lay off."

The man sighs, scratching the heavy scruff on his jawline.  
"Keep it exactly how your dad wants it, I'll change Ángel's rank, and keep your head up. I'll get them here, but if you keep following homie's plans, we're fucked."

"Buy me a weekend and I'll get this shit figured out."  
I nod.  
"But when shit starts to get real, you know what you need to do."

"I know you've got this, Teddy. You're just like your daddy."  
He assures, giving me a kiss on my forehead.  
"I will see you later."

"Bye, Cas."

When he walked out, I continued to go back to working out. Rather than starting with pull-ups again, I figured it was worth doing some bench pressing instead.

Castello was right, and there was no denying that. I couldn't handle myself, he knows that and dad knows that, but we're practically running on three month old plans from Ángel.

I was afraid, by any means, to take the lead and continue to do whatever the fuck I wanted to do— but I knew he wouldn't be satisfied with the fact that he would be demoted in a way.

Even though I really didn't fuckin' care if he would be upset, it was still important to keep him happy, because if I didn't, I would be a liar.

My job is to make people happy and make sure to rain structure and rules for these poor people. Rick Grimes is nowhere close to being a fitting leader. He's too soft, too needy, and too hesitant.

When you're controlling your people, being a weak little fuck isn't acceptable, and that's exactly what Rick Grimes is.

He knows his boundaries, he knows not to fuckin' play with me because I will end him. I will take every single thing he has from the ground up and make it mine.

It's your responsibility to take care of your people, make sure they get what they need and have what they want— there is no room for weak links. You are not allowed to let your people down, because if you do, you are the problem.

Your job is to protect your people, take a bullet for your people, and make sure your people believe in you.

From what I've seen, Rick Grimes has disappointed these survivors time and time again. He always comes up short, disappointing, and lazy.

Rick Grimes is the definition of worthlessness. He jerks his cock to the tears of disappointed children and starving adults. He's selfish, and he will always be selfish. You can't change men like him.

Independent men and strong, beautiful women are our future. This world will be burned down and rebuilt with success with the help of charismatic men and powerful women. Children are the miracles that will shape the new world— and no matter who you are, what color you are, what sexuality you're in, what gender you identify with— no matter what, we will become the brave, beautiful, and successful new world.

"It's your night off, and you're still reading?"  
I chuckle, standing in the doorway of Carl's cell.

He jumps, eyes blown wide as usual as he tries to collect himself quickly and come to realization that it was only me, not some murderer.

"Jesus! You scared me!"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart."  
I husk.  
"So, you do believe in spooks?"

He tucks some hair behind his ear and closes his book, nudging it under his pillow.  
"I didn't hear you walk in."

"Sneaky like an assassin."

"What do you recommend I do during my night off? You seem to hate reading books."

"I don't hate 'em, I just don't love them."  
I shrug.  
"I'd rather be muff-diving than reading a fuckin' book."

What I said goes right over his head. He didn't understand what I had just said and I couldn't help but grin at his purity and innocence.

"I'm dyslexic and I can't spell very well, but I can read excellently— so I try to teach myself to read really quickly and try harder to spell words better."

I'll be honest, it basically made me feel like an absolute fuckhead because I had constantly teased him for stuffing his nose into a book, but the truth is that he is just trying to keep his brain thinking so that he could function like an ordinary boy.

Carl didn't need to be an ordinary boy, because he's so brilliant and beautiful and extraordinary and no matter what anyone said, he will always be a star in my eyes.

"Perspicacious."

"W-what?"

"Spell perspicacious."  
I say.  
"Carl, you are perspicacious."

"Um..."  
He bites lip, looking down at his fingers, which were slightly shaking and fiddling against one another.  
"P-u-r-s-p-i-c-a-t-o-u-s."

"Close, very close."  
I wink, nodding.  
"P-e-r-s-p-i-c-a-c-i-o-u-s. Baby, you are perspicacious, beautiful, and anyone who doesn't think you're excellent is fuckin' blind."

He looks at me, freckled cheeks blushing a very dark pink.

"Baby boy, come to me when you need help, and I will drop everything I'm doing for you."

"Mr. Theodore, you don't have to do that—"

"But I want to and I will."  
I assure.  
"Goodnight, sleep tight, count your fluffy fuckin' sheep, and I will see you in the morning for waffles and pancakes."

"Goodnight, Mr. Theodore."  
He smiles.  
"Sleep tight and don't let the bugs bite. I'll see you during breakfast, and don't forget the bacon and apple juice!"


	7. seven.

S E V E N  
T H E O D O R E

"I wish I could say I was once like you, but in order to do that, I would have to lie— and I'm not a liar."

He stares at me, chewing on some sour candy.

"As soon as I was born, my daddy knew I was destined for greatness. He was blessed with having such an intelligent, audacious, and didactic young man such as myself."

"But you were a newborn, how do you know that?"

"With a formidable defense and halcyon gaze, it was hilarious to watch the juxtaposition of my excellency and their incompetence."

He nods, stuffing more candy past his lips.

"He's loquacious— a maverick, if you will— and a myriad of empires, followers, and respect."

"I don't know him that well, but he sounds awesome."

"He's a paragon of virtue, love, and kindness."

"If you're anything like him, I can tell."  
He smiles.  
"You're magnificent, you're a sex icon, you're such a god."

"People like you, desperate, naive, lonely— you allow me to shine even brighter amongst a crowd of peers, if that's even possible."

"Thank you."  
The younger man's eyes widen, glistening with pure happiness.  
"Thank you so much, mon maître."

"We're pristine, one of a kind, prudent— we're fuckin' quintessential."

"Yes, sir. You guys are that, but a million times greater."

Leaning forward, I place my hands on each of his cheeks and stare him right in the eyes.

"Did you lie to me?"

He shakes his head.  
"No, sir. I promise I would never."

"You're a good boy, you would be foolish to betray me."

"Sir, I would never do anything to decrease your excellency or question your intelligence or negatively impact your future."  
He assures.  
"I love you. I love you so much, and I will continue to devote my life and soul to you. If anyone were to doubt you, I would defend you until they had to rip you from my frozen, dead fingers."

"Tell me how much you love me."

At this point he was practically shaking and freaking out under my touch.

"I can't."  
He breathes out, shaking his head.  
"I can't tell you because I love you too much. I don't fucking deserve you, but I thank the heavens you came from every single day for giving me to opportunity to serve you."

"Baby..."  
I sigh, pressing my forehead against his, still holding him tight.  
"I believe you. I know you would never be so spurious, incompetent, and blind. You're such a good boy, I see great things in you— whether it's me, a fuckin' dildo, or some stud I bless you with— great things will come... and cum."

"Thank you, mon maître."  
He cries.  
"Thank you so much. I love you so much, sir. Thank you."

I gently kiss his tears away before pressing my lips against his, a blessing from his very own god.

"And I love you, baby."

"I love you."  
He whispers, being pulled into my arms for a warm, delightful hug before it was time to push him away and send him to his room.

"Don't you dare make me doubt your loyalty to me."  
I growl.  
"Don't you ever fuckin' dare, Kreighton."

"Sir, I promise you that I will do better. I promise. Thank you. I love you."

"Go to your room now."  
I order.  
"Do not make eye contact or speak with anyone out there, and if I catch you doing so, I will rip your balls off, put them in a blender, and make you drink them in front of me."

"Yes, sir."

All I needed was to take all of my fuckin' clothes off and just soak in blazing hot water. I stepped into the shower, pulled the curtain closed, and shifted my stance under the fall of the water.

Immediately, my hair was soaked and I had several streams of water trailing down my face.

I shouldn't have turned it so far to the left, because that made it more than likely unsafely hot, but this was my punishment for being so goddamn stupid.

I don't get second chances, I don't get to take a break, I have one opportunity to do what I was born, raised, and trained to do, and if I fuck it up, I'm better off dead because I will have failed at the one thing I was brought into this world for.

My shoulders, back, and feet were turning a blistering red as I stood there, eventually looking up at the tall ceiling above me.

Half of the light was out, and the other half was just barely flickering, only turning off for a very brief millisecond.

It was time to step out. It was already past midnight, I was going to ruin my skin, and sleep was probably the best option for me at this point.

I was lucky enough to snag two days off, and I wasn't about to waste one of them standing in a shower stall looking up at what could be a lame horror flick.

My favorite tight long sleeve shirt and matching sweatpants were on my body in no time and I found myself sitting down on the bottom bunk of the bed, continuously placing my bare feet on the ground until they were in the correct spot, straight, and completely parallel.

The old tape recorder in my hand was full of static as I flipped through the hours of dialogue, pressing it close to my ear to get a sense of feeling or some shit.

He kept talking and talking and talking, and it felt like a fuckin' rehearsal dinner but I couldn't put down the fuckin' recorder because I wanted to hear his voice.

I wanted to hear his raspy, masculine voice, and if I closed my eyes tight enough, maybe it would feel like he was talking to me while in the same room— like he was speaking directly to me as we sat next to each other.

"You're so fuckin' intelligent, you're just like me."

Fast forward.

"If I had anyone else as my son, I'm certain I would just fuckin' kill myself because they wouldn't even compare to you, Teddy Bear."

Skip.

"I know you miss your momma every single day, and trust me, I do too— but I'm going to be everything you need me to be— just like I've always been."

Repeat.

"If I had anyone else as my son, I'm certain I would just fuckin' kill myself because they wouldn't even compare to you, Teddy Bear."

Again.

"If I had anyone else as my son, I'm certain I would just fuckin' kill myself because they wouldn't even compare to you, Teddy Bear."

Repeat.

"If I had anyone else as my son, I'm certain I would just fuckin' kill myself because they wouldn't even compare to you, Teddy Bear."

Say it.

"If I had anyone else as my son, I'm certain I would just fuckin' kill myself because they wouldn't even compare to you, Teddy Bear."

Pause.

Skip.

Play.

"I love you more than a cat loves chasing its tail. I love you more than Cinderella loved Prince Charming. I love you more than the sand loves the sea. I love you more than a mouse loves cheese."

Repeat.

"I love you more than a cat loves chasing its tail. I love you more than Cinderella loved Prince Charming. I love you more than the sand loves the sea. I love you more than a mouse loves cheese."

Skip.

"—more than the sand loves the sea. I love you more than a mouse loves cheese."

Forward.

"I believe in you more and more everyday. You're my baby boy, Teddy, and I love you so much. Daddy loves you so much."

Repeat.

"I love you more than a cat loves chasing its tail. I love you more than Cinderella loved Prince Charming. I love you more than the sand loves the sea. I love you more than a mouse loves cheese."

Skip.

Forward.

"You're my baby boy, Teddy, and I love you so much. Daddy loves you so much."

Repeat.

"I love you more than a cat loves chasing its tail. I love you more than Cinderella loved Prince Charming. I love you more than the sand loves the sea. I love you more than a mouse loves cheese. I believe in you more and more everyday. You're my baby boy, Teddy, and I love you so much. Daddy loves you so much."

I love you, Daddy.

Daddy ain't raise no bitch.

"Daddy?"

I open my eyes, immediately cutting off the recorder and looking over at the boy in my doorway.

"Hi, baby."

"I can't sleep."

"Okay, c'mere."  
I sigh, getting under the covers, stuffing the recorder under the pillow, and scooting against the wall so that he'll have room.

The small boy climbs under the blankets, gets as close as he can to my chest, and closes his eyes.

I stuck my leg in between his to create a barrier of warmth for his legs and bare feet. The blankets would be enough, but body heat is way more comfortable almost all the time.

It was the typical routine. I held him close to me as I slowly ran my fingers up and down his back to soothe him.

"Are you okay, daddy?"

"Don't worry 'bout me, sweetheart."  
I whisper.  
"You get some rest, okay? I love you so much."

"I love you more."

Harmony reminded me of Carl in a lot of ways.

They were both small, shy boys with a neglect of male figures in their life. They both had daddy issues, they both craves affection and attention from older men, and they were both clingy.

Carl was clingy in the way of always insisting on sitting next to me, rather than in front of me or away from me.

Harmony, on the other hand, was clingy in the way of him needing constant warmth, affection, and attention.

Regardless, I fuckin' loved it. I loved every single fuckin' aspect and element of it. For some reason, it attracted me to both of them.

I felt responsible for filling the gigantic void in their lives.

I could listen to Carl talk for the rest of my life, and I could hold Harmony in my arms until the end of time.

In a perfect world, I would have gone to sleep with Harmony in bed with me. In a perfect world, I wouldn't have gotten so depressed and fucked up.

This was not a perfect world, I was not asleep, and I was still very much depressed and fucked up.

It was well past one in the morning, and I still remained wide-awake. My hand hadn't stopped rubbing Harmony's back, and my mind hadn't stopped racing.

For some god awful reason, I was still in a pit of emptiness and restlessness.

Don't get me wrong, I fuckin' loved Harmony to death and having him in bed with me didn't have any negative perks, but I couldn't shake the void in my chest.

I deserved peace, quiet, and a lot of fuckin' sleep.

I still hadn't fallen asleep when the sun began to rise, but I pretended I had gotten some sleep as soon as Harmony began to shift, wake up, and stretch.

The boy continued to stay put in my arms even though he was obviously awake. My fingers were in his hair, and my eyes wouldn't stop counting the freckles on his face.

"You ready to get up?"

"No, sir."  
He mumbles, shaking his head, keeping his eyes closed.

"Okay, baby."

"You smell like manly cologne."

"You want me to wear some pretty pink perfume?"

"No, I wasn't saying it was bad, I was just stating a fact."  
He smiles.  
"I like it a lot."

"You smell like candy."  
I mutter.  
"What the fuck have you been eating?"

"It's body spray, mister."

"Candy body spray?"

"You're the one that gave it to me."

"When?"

"Like a week ago, sir."  
He whines.  
"How did you not remember?"

"Oh! The little abstract fuckin' thing?"

"It's called a bottle."

"I gotcha."  
I nod.  
"I remember, cuddles. No worries."

"Can we go back to sleep now?"  
He asks, looking up at me.  
"Please? Pretty please?"

I place the softest little kiss on his lips and hold him tighter, letting out a big sigh.  
"40 more minutes and then you're getting in the shower."

"I don't like showers. I like baths."

"You're taking a shower, and I will get in there with you if I have to."

He looks at me, fake pouting before he digs his head back into my chest and lets out a soft whimper, which I'm pretty sure was his body's way of yawning.

"I love you."

"I love you, baby."

ϟ ϟ


	8. eight.

E I G H T  
T H E O D O R E

"Who do you think she is?"

"I dunno."  
I shrug, leaning up against the wall next to the window.

"Isn't it weird?"  
He asks.  
"She just... shows up. Out of the blue."

"Hey, don't knock it."  
I shake my head.  
"Y'all got me and the boys randomly, too."

"Yeah, but, you're genuine."  
He sighs.  
"She doesn't... I don't know. I feel like she doesn't sit well."

"Sugar, what are you worried about? This facility is almost everyone's temporary home, these fuckers come in and out all the fuckin' time."

"She doesn't seem weird to you?"

"She seems uncomfortable with all of your hateful eyes."  
I mutter, referring to several of the other survivors giving her the side eye.

"So, do you think I'm overreacting."

"I think you need to relax and get your mind off of her."

"Yes, sir."  
He nods.

"Lemme ask you somethin', okay?"

"I'm all ears."

"How much do you wanna bet that I can hit that flag on the south watch tower?"

"There's no way."

"Excuse me?"

"That's way too far away, especially for a bow and arrow."

"If you're right and I don't hit it, what do you want?"

"What do I want?"

"Yeah, I'll give you somethin' you want, but only if you're right."

"I want your dark blue hat."

"That old thing?"

"Mhm."  
He nods, smiling.  
"I want it."

"Deal."

"Wait, no. What do you want if you win?"

"You have to have dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Dinner?"  
He raises his eyebrows.  
"Okay, that seems like a fair trade."

"You like steak?"

"Yes, but that's doesn't matter."

"Is that so?"

"You might as well just give me the hat now— oh my god, you already hit it."  
His mouth drops open a little, whole body in visible shock.

"I told you I could hit."  
I shrug, tossing my bow onto the floor and looking down at the boy.  
"Dinner for two."

"B-but— how did you—"  
He whispers.  
"How? How, Mr. Theodore?"

"I'm good at what I do."

"Obviously, but that shot should've been impossible!"

"I appreciate your confidence in me."  
I tease.

"So, I owe you dinner now."

"Yeah."  
I nod.  
"Tomorrow— wait, fuck it, tonight. You have to have dinner with me tonight."

"Tonight?"

"7 pm sharp."

"Should I dress up?"

"You can wear whatever you want."

"Okay."

"I have some preparations to sort out."  
I rasp, ruffling his hair.  
"I'll see you tonight."

"Wait, where are we meeting?"

"Y'know that fuckin' conjugal visitation room in E?"

"Yeah, I'm a little familiar with it."

"Be there at 7."  
I order.  
"If you're early, that's great. If you're late— just don't be late."

"Okay, sir."  
He smiles.  
"I'll see you tonight."

Jogging down the stairs and making my way back into the facility, I stopped by Ángel cell before beginning my many chores for tonight.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Your hospitality is overwhelmingly sweet."  
I sneer.

"Your idea of carrying on your dad's legacy was to push me out of the way?"  
He asks.  
"Seriously, Theodore?"

"You're mad about that?"

"Hell yeah, I'm mad about it!"

"We were running on your plans from three fuckin' months ago. It's outdated, it's been done before, it's over with. You have to step aside."  
I explain.  
"It's nothing against you, but if you're going to make it that way, I have no problem ending it."

"You fucked me over, man. Who's next? Emilio? Penelope? Kreighton?"  
The man scoffs.  
"Am I gonna be bombarded with shit by them, too?"

"This is what you wanted."

"What I wanted was for you to do what you were supposed to do."

"I'm doing everything and more, you bastard."  
I growl.  
"Don't fuck with me right now, I've done way more than you have ever fuckin' done, and you're too motherfuckin' blind to see it!"

"Oh, great."  
He laughs.  
"You're just like your sorry ass father."

"My dad's legacy is excellent. My dad is not a sorry ass motherfucker who doesn't know left from right. My dad is the only reason you're still alive, do not make me be the reason you can no longer breathe on your own."

The man takes a few steps back, staring at me. He wasn't backing up because he was scared, he was backing up because he knew I would kill him if I had to.

"Are you with me, or against me?"

He's silent for a few moments, but he walks forward and wraps one of his arms around me.

"I'm with you. I'm always with you."

"Then get your shit together, Ángel."  
I order.  
"We have to finish this, don't fuckin' dare trip up on me again."

When he gets out of my personal space, I grab his tiny stereo off the dresser and wave before shutting the curtain behind me and heading to my own cell.

Since I would have to do some cleaning and rearranging, wearing what I was wouldn't suffice. I would have to get different clothes, pack a fresh pair for the dinner, and somehow get all this shit done by at least 6:45.

Taking all of my clothes off, I grab my socks, walnut sneakers, tight black sweatpants, and the blue hat the Carl so desperately wanted to get his hands on.

Stuffing a button up shirt, black jeans, and my leather Harley Davidsons into my small bag, I grab one of my old mixtapes and head down to the conjugal visitation room.

Since nearly every room in the facility was still actively used, it wasn't necessarily dirty or messy— it just wasn't how it needed it.

I wasn't sure what they had been using it for, but it was more than likely some ordinary shit like meetings or whatever.

Regardless, tonight I was going to turn it into a lovely two person date room, something that would be seen hanging in The Louvre.

Pushing the cassette tape into the stereo, I turn the volume up to a reasonable level and set it down on the counter.

I had a broom, some chairs and tables, some tablecloths, and a few candles.

My best bet was to push one of the tables into the corner, use one of them and throw a cloth on it, light up three candles and put them in the middle, and slide the two most comfortable chairs I could find against the table.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm busy."  
I growl, not daring to look up at the person speaking. I more than likely didn't give a fuck, so I wasn't bothered at all.

"Do all the men here walk around without shirts on?"  
She asks, thigh-high boots clicking against the hard floor.  
"I mean, I'm not complaining, but give a girl a heads up at least."

"Heads up."  
I groan.  
"No shirt."

"You're different."

I finally look up, definitely not regretting it. She was gorgeous, had a very tight and hot pink outfit on, and stood with confidence similar to mine.

"Hello."  
I greet.  
"Different?"

"You're not hiding."  
She explains.  
"Nearly everyone here acts like talking to someone will kill you."

"They're all a bunch of pussies. You'll get used to it."

"You're the most extravagant."

"Yeah, I'm kind of the shit."

"You have personality, structure— emotion."

"Theodore."  
I rasp.  
"The guy with personality, structure, and emotion."

"I'm Adelaide."

The heels on her boots were incredibly sharp, and I had a feeling I knew what she used them for. It was clever and it was fuckin' fantastic.

"Welcome to Hell."

"It's not too bad."  
Adelaide shakes her head.  
"It could use some color and pizazz, but it'll do for now."

"Temporary?"

"Hopefully."  
She says.  
"I'd prefer getting to Cuba immediately, but we'll see."

"What's Cuba got?"

"Color."

"Pizazz."  
I speak, finishing her sentence.

"I think you'll find that places like this are not up to higher standards."

"Damn, sugar. You've barely been here six hours and you're already bitchin' about standards?"  
I scoff, going back to sweeping.  
"It's a fuckin' prison, this shit ain't perfect."

"Clearly."

"You'll find that when these motherfuckers aren't talking, it's for the best."  
I assure.  
"These bitches still haven't looked me in my eyes."

"Are you really that despicable?"

"I scare them."

"You scare them?"

"Do you believe in spooks, sweetheart?"

"I believe in danger, fear, and power."  
She replies, walking closer to me.  
"People like you are the reasons why survivors are afraid to leave their comfort zones."

"Oh, it's like music to my ears. Keep talkin'." 

"You intimidate them, you discipline them, and you teach them. If people don't have fear, the world doesn't have structure and ground."

I loved it.

"When you walk into a room, they don't look at you until your back is turned to them because they know your superiority. It's evident that fright, drive, and concentration keep the tracks moving."  
She flips some hair over her shoulder.  
"If you see a bear in the woods, you run away, but do you decide to never go back? No. You continue to go because even though you're so scared and paranoid, you still need to be in the woods."

God, it's like feeling an intense orgasm without even jerking off.

"Theodore, I've seen men like you and I've never watched any of them fall because they're too good at what they do. They succeed, they progress, and they prosper. If you're weak, you fail— but if you're strong, charismatic, and sexy, you've already won the game."

"I always win the game, but I fuckin' love rollin' the dice."  
I husk, stepping even closer to her.  
"When I win, I don't stop playing. I keep winning." 

Her lips curl into a smile, eyes still looking directly into mine.  
"Hopefully this place doesn't blow up before you take it over. Keep making them cry, Theodore."

"It's been a pleasure, madame."  
I bow, watching as she slowly walks out the room and closes the door behind her.

She was gone, I felt even more confident, and I still had shit to do. I needed to make an impression on Carl, and I only had one shot, so I definitely didn't want to fuck it up.

The room was beginning to come around nicely, and I was starting to feel like I was almost finished, but then I realized that I never finished sweeping, and had to completely clean the floor before I could have a date in here.

Obviously this wouldn't be ideal, I would much rather have been taking Carl to a fancy restaurant with good food and heavy alcohol, but this would have to do.

As time began to pass, I was finding myself getting way too into the music, but I couldn't help it. When you listen to hip-hop and rap, it practically impossible not to dance.

Sometimes you need to move your hips, pop your heel, spin around, and repeat it all over again.

From the corner of my eyes, I thought I saw someone waiting in the doorway, but I shrugged it off as nothing and continue to dance and rap along to the music.

My adrenaline was on fuckin' fire and my energy was kicked up to maximum capacity. I had all this built up shit that needed to be expressed and let out, so why the fuck not?

I didn't have to worry about Penelope or Kreighton or Emilio or Ángel or Castello— I could just fuckin' worry about myself.

Shrugging off what I thought I saw was a bad idea, because I spun around and looked up, catching a glance of Carl.

He had a goofy smile on his face, so I was happy to continue giving him a show.

"Is it 7 already?"

"It is."  
He nods, closing the door behind him.

"Well, fuck."  
I growl.

"No, no! Keep dancing! I like it."

"Get over here and dance with me then."

"Oh my god, no."  
He shakes his head.  
"I can't dance."

"I don't care if you can't."  
I rasp, holding my hand out.  
"I care if you do."

He takes my hand in his and allows me to spin him around before pressing his smaller body against mine.

I run my hands down his chest and waist, slowly grinding our hips together.

I had him where I wanted him. I couldn't stop myself.

Sliding my hands under his shirt, I pull his body closer to mine— if that was even possible at this point— and rub my bottom lip against the curve of his ear, teeth slipping out to bite down on the tip.

"That's what I'm talking about, princess."

ϟ ϟ


	9. nine.

N I N E  
T H E O D O R E

"Come on! Are you fuckin' kidding me?"

"You're insane!"

"And you're a fuckin' pussy!"  
I growl, changing my magazine before taking a few shots towards the enemies on the other side.

"This is not how I wanted to spend my day."  
Melbourne sneers, aiming towards one of the bigger guys and only missing by a hair.  
"I need ammo! Hurry up!"

"I want that one."

"I'm using it, find somethin' else."

"Theodore, I want the rifle you're using."  
Adelaide argues, flipping her long ponytail over her shoulder.  
"Give it to me."

"Are you fuckin' joking, Adelaide?"  
I glare at her, shoving the rifle against her chest.  
"This is not the time."

"I always get what I want."

"So do I, princess. You ain't special."  
Sebastian chuckles, tossing me a shotgun before coming to stand on my left side.  
"Four left."

"I want this one!"

"Get out of my fuckin' way!"  
I yell, shoving people out of the way to get the last four shots remaining.

I don't play games to come in second place. I don't let people take my spotlight. If it's my time to shine, which it always is, I will not allow some fucker come along and make it any different.

Blackthornians made my skin crawl. They were so naive, so hesitant, and so fuckin' incompetent. They are convinced that since they safe beyond the prison walls, nothing will happen to them.

They're all fuckin' stupid because you're always in danger. You're never going to be safe, untouched, and worry-free. People are here to kill, that's why they aren't dead yet.

They know how to survive, and if any of these jailbait man-baby bitches got in my way, I wouldn't hesitate to stick a knife in their throat.

Carl, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sebastian were all with me, and Emilio, Delancey, Rick Grimes, and Avery were defending the other side.

Since we had shot down the infiltrators, it was okay to group up together again. Those bastards didn't stand a chance, and to be honest, I would have much rather kill them all slowly, to make sure they were miserable and begging for forgiveness.

"I told you it would be easy."  
Adelaide comments as we all caught up with one another, rolling her eyes.  
"You're not the best shot, Rick."

"Why are you even still here?"  
Melbourne squints his eyes.  
"Weren't you supposed to leave, like, four days ago?"

"You guys need me more than I need you, so until you all learn how to shoot like Theodore, I'll stick around."

"Hey, how about I get him to teach me and then I put a bullet in your fuckin' head?"

"Stop it."  
Carl speaks.  
"Everyone, stop arguing. It's over, we did it."

"Let's get back to Blackthorn."  
Emilio suggests.

"Hey, Theodore."  
Seb raises his eyebrows.  
"You and Carl take the truck back to Hilltop, and we'll meet up with you guys back at the prison."

"Okay."  
I nod.  
"See you later."

"Be careful, y'all."

"Theodore."  
Adelaide calls, making me look over my shoulder.  
"Don't do anything stupid."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do, buttercup."

I waited until the others left to start the truck. This was private time with Carl that I hadn't been able to get yet. I missed him. I missed him a lot.

"Hi, beautiful."

He smiles, looking up at me as he buckled his seatbelt.  
"Hi."

I noticed that the left side of his hair was twisted into a tight braid, almost like cornrows, but more along the lines of a typical braid.

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't like it. He looked like a fuckin' full course meal. From his heavily freckled cheeks to the bright shade of blue in his eyes, he was the most beautiful person in the entire world.

"You look sleepy, baby."

"I didn't get a lot of sleep last night."  
He shakes his head.  
"It was cold downstairs for some reason."

"You could've gotten in bed with me, you know that."

"I didn't want to disturb you."

"You don't disturb me."

"I've just been feeling really lonely lately."

"I don't want you to ever feel like I don't have time for you, because I do."  
I sigh.  
"I will literally stop the world for you— you are my world."

"You've been so busy in the armory lately, and I know you don't have a choice, but I just don't want to bother you while you work."

"I'll be honest, I'm probably the reason the two of us got fired— and I know that you aren't a big fan of me managing the armory, but you can come by any time you want because I will stop working for you— and I'll do it with a smile."

I didn't want him to feel like he was a source of irritation, because in all honesty, he wasn't. He was no where close to a bothersome soul. He's one of the only people at Blackthorn that is actually worth caring about.

The two of us got fired from the watch tower recently, and Carl still doesn't understand why. We work incredibly well together, and I'm such a good shot that if there happened to be a random person, they'd be dead in no time.

I think Rick Grimes got a little agitated with the fact that I took an interest in Carl, and his plan was to make sure that we stayed away from each other and didn't work with one another.

From the constant insecurity that Rick Grimes spreads around, it always makes me want to film myself fucking Carl so that I can send it to his dear ol' father and show him that the boy's daddy is nowhere close to starting with an R and ending in an S.

Carl isn't working right now, and it's probably the best for the time being. He's 15 years old, he doesn't need to be bending over backwards to help in the kitchen or go on runs or do anything that doesn't involve relaxing and taking it easy.

I can support him, I don't need him to work, stress, become overwhelmed— or anything of that matter. I was working, I had the upper hand on the prison, and all that needed to fucking happen is getting Carl to take a break.

"I'm so sorry, baby."  
I husk, reaching over to hold his hand.  
"I don't want you to feel like you're second best. You are the most important thing to me, and I love you so much."

"Are we dating, Mr. Theodore?"  
He asks, looking up at me.  
"Are we actually dating?"

"Of course, we are. You're mine, and only mine."

It was true. Although I typically don't fuck with labels, Carl was worth a goddamn label.

I didn't not give a fuck what anyone had to say about us, because it is irrelevant. I love him, and he loves me. We don't need a ton of bitches yappin' in our ears about some dumb shit that I don't care about.

Carl is mine. At this point, no one can touch him, hold him, or even dare give him goggly eyes. He belongs to me, his body is mine, his heart is owned by me, and everything I touch turns to gold and gets wrapped up in a present for him.

It's impossible for someone to be able to support him like I do. I am superior, I am higher ranking, I am a king. If I know you, you're bowing down. If I don't know you, your ass is still gonna fuckin' bow.

I own everything that I want, and I get everything that I need. If it's in a 32 by 32 radius around Carl, I own it. It's my property.

Everyone can shake their ass and get on their knees, but I've got a fuckin' brain, so I know whether to fuck with 'em or not.

Hilltop was some high-end community with less people and less space. They had everything they needed, wanted, and could possibly dream for. A big population wasn't necessary because they earned what they got, and to be honest, it was better than most communities out there.

I found myself looking at the mansion, which is practically the shining star of the community. It shows worth, wealth, and superiority. I wanted it, and I was going to take it.

"Carl, it's nice to see you again."

"Hi, Gregory."  
The boy waves.  
"Is Maggie here?"

"She is, but she's delivering Kay's baby right now. Can I give her a message?"

"Please."  
He nods.  
"Just tell her that the truck is back and the tank is full. Delancey, Avery, and Sebastian will probably be back in the next couple of days to help you guys unload materials and supplies." 

"We're appreciate that, we really do."

"Who lives in the mansion?"

The older man cuts his eyes towards me, giving me a pathetic smile before holding his hand out.  
"I don't believe we've met."

"I know who you are, Gregory."  
I growl, staring him deep into his eyes.

I don't shake hands.

"Milo still residing in there?"

"Sure is."

"And you too, I'd imagine?"

"Temporarily."

"I'm going to take this place right from under you, Gregory."

"We should get back to Blackthorn."  
Carl suggests.  
"Thanks again, Gregory. Send Maggie and Hershel Jr my love."

"Always."  
The man nods.  
"Good to see you, again."

"Bye, Gregory."  
I smirk, tilting my head to the side.

Once we got back into the car that belonged to the prison, Carl looks at me with a frown on his face.

"What?"

"You can't be so mean to people."

"I'm not mean."

"You were burning holes into Gregory's body."

"Hey, I was very nice. I said hello."

"You scare people, Mr. Theodore. You have to ease up until they get to know you."  
He begs, quickly wrapping his arms around my shoulders for a hug.  
"I know that you're a teddy bear, but they don't."

"I'll smile more and work on not cussing as much."  
I groan.

"Thank you, sir."

"Yeah, no worries."  
Giving him a long kiss, I gently push him down into his seat so that he will buckle his seat belt.  
"You ready to go, young man?"

"Yes, sir!"

Fortunately, Hilltop isn't far from Blackthorn. It is a very quick trip back and forth, and only really takes half an hour, if that.

The scenery is mostly full of plains of dying grass, hardly any trees, and usually a lot of fuckin' sunlight. It's different from what I'm used to, but the change was kinda nice once in a while.

When we arrived back at the prison, I handed the keys over to Delancey and gave her a small smile before catching up with Carl and following him into his cell.

"We're not supposed to be in here together."

"I don't care."  
I shrug, carefully moving his body up against the wall and trapping him in the corner.  
"You're my fuckin' baby, and that means you're my responsibility."

"I don't like to break the rules."

"You don't have to, sweetheart."  
I shake my head.  
"I'll do the rule breaking, and you keep up the good boy persona, okay?"

"You're going to get me in so much trouble if dad finds you in here."  
He giggles.  
"I'm not allowed to have people in my room unless it's Harmony." 

"Rick Grimes ain't gonna do shit, princess. You're my diamond, and I'm never fuckin' leavin' you alone. You're under my rules now, and there's nothing that states I can't be in here with you."

"There's something about you that's different from the others, mister."

"I have personality."  
I suggest, booping his button nose with my pointer finger.  
"And I'm hot."

"Yeah."  
He blushes.  
"You're very very hot."

"And I like you..."  
I husk.  
"I like you a lot."

"The butterflies are back."  
He whispers.

Every touch, every kiss, every whisper... it was insane how beautiful he was and how much I loved him. I've never loved anyone as much as I love him.

He's mine. He's all mine.

ϟ ϟ


	10. ten.

T E N  
T H E O D O R E

I don't like being lied to.

If you think you can criticize and play a hate and slip one past me, you are sadly mistaken; and you will eventually have blood oozing out of your throat.

It's easy to read people. Someone might make an idiotic assumption and say that I can do that because I have a degree in Human Behavior, but I can read you limb from limb with or without a fuckin' degree.

When lil' Carl thinks that I believe him when he says he's okay makes me laugh. You can practically see the caustic feeling in his stomach and his entire aura fills with anxiety and sorrow.

Daddy knows when his baby boy is having a bad day, and I am obligated to make it better.

You have no idea how long I was willing to spend holding him in my arms, snuggling him up into my chest for skin to skin contact.

I couldn't help but leave soft, long kisses all around his face. I wanted to kiss every single freckle, and play with the soft strands of hair on his head.

He's gentle, shy, almost completely lacking of confidence. He doesn't need confidence. He doesn't need anything except happiness, the world, and yours truly.

Rick Grimes has been pushed to the side, and I have taken the role of Carl's daddy, because I'm actually fit for the task. Carl needs someone to smack his ass when he's misbehaving, and can them turn right back around to fuck him so far into the mattress that there's practically a permanent dip in the bed.

Punishment, discipline, affection, and attention. P-D-A-A. Carl is 15 years old, and clings onto me because he needs the sensation of real man. He needs to be controlled, told what to do, made completely submissive.

I love every curve, every flushed cheek, every freckle; I can drink his tears and take away all of his sorrow so that he can see that the brand new day brings sunshine and happiness.

He's afraid of the dark and he doesn't like to be alone. You can feel his heartbeat speed up, slow down, and hesitate.

When you're in an episode full of fright, it feels like you're stranded in four feet of snow, you can see in front of you, and your skin is pierced with needles and a tragic feeling of numbness.

You feel like you can no longer breathe, your lungs are heavy and even though they ache, you try your hardest to breathe as well as possible. Your entire body is frozen inside, it's as if sharp icicles are filling up every single free space, plunging into your insides and poking out of your skin.

Spinning around in the dark, you can't see anything or hear yourself think. You've never felt this close to death and fear, and your adrenaline has run out like gas in a fuel tank.

If you weren't scared, you would become cocky and you'd begin to fumble over your own fingers whenever you touch something. You know nothing is going to happen to you, but you take three steps forward and you're being blown six feet back.

You're lying on your back, almost dead, feeling absolutely nothing, and taking your last few breaths. You are one of the unlucky few because you were not scared— and humans run off of fear.

It was around 7 in the morning when Carl and I were ready to get out of bed. I was expecting to be in my cell for a lot longer, but I could tell the sound of survivors downstairs was bothering him.

If we weren't going to be able to go to sleep, it was pretty useless for us to still lay around. There were things that could be done, so I was going to do them.

The two of us were changing into some better clothes, but I couldn't stop staring at him. His body was shaped by the gods. Every single detail was sculpted so delicately, so carefully— every single aspect and element of him took time, patience, and skill.

He still refused to change his shirt around me, and although it was frustrating because I already knew his secret, he hadn't told me yet, and it would be really fuckin' suspicious if I blurted something out that had to do with it.

"C-can you turn around, please?"

"Why?"

"I need to change."

"You didn't have any problem with taking your pants off in front of me."

"Well... this is different."  
He sighs, voice so soft and gentle.  
"Please?"

"Baby, your body is so beautiful, so natural, you don't have to hide it from me."

"It's just... it's just a little complicated."

"I like complicated."

"I don't think you'll like me anymore."

"What?"  
I scoff.  
"That's ridiculous!"

The epitome of innocence and purity. Carl is softer than a daisy, sweeter than diabetes, and a masterpiece of the heaven's creations.

"I'm sorry."  
He frowns.  
"Can you turn around, please?"

I shake my head, holding my pinkie out for him.  
"You're not allowed to deny a pinkie partner."

Hesitantly, he accepts and looks up at me; eyes blown wide as usual.

"You're my angel, and I'm here to protect you and make sure you have everything you want and need."  
I rasp.  
"We don't keep things from one another, that's against the rules. You know that."

He nods.

"Daddy hates bein' lied to, sweetheart. I can't stand it."

"I know..."

"We don't keep secrets, young man."

"You have to promise me."  
He squeaks.  
"Promise me you won't laugh or hit me or call me names."

"I would never."

He lets go of my pinkie, takes a small step back, and slowly takes his shirt off. He was clearly embarrassed, but he didn't need to be.

I was getting what I wanted, like I always do. I had been waiting for quite a while for him to tell me, and apparently he just wasn't going to.

Unclasping his bra, I let the lacy garment fall to the floor before I lean down and place a single gentle kiss to both of his hardened nipples.

His breasts were tiny, yet perky and bouncy too. The round shape and curve of them both was so beautiful and natural. His body is so beautiful.

I get down on one of my knees and begin kissing a trail down his thin stomach, stopping at the waistband of his jeans.

"I don't ever want you to be ashamed or scared of who you are."  
I husk, my bottom lip rubbing up against his skin.  
"You are so fuckin' gorgeous. You have the most beautiful body in the entire world."

You have to praise and respect your future wife, mother of your children, and lifelong partner.

I don't have time to play games with petty bitches and gigantic babies, so Carl was my only option for happiness. I am destined for success and greatness, and I will only reach my full potential if I have Carl by my side for the long run.

"Tell me your name."

Caroline Rose.

My wife. My beautiful wife who's superior over every single other person in the entire world. Fuck y'all. Caroline Rose is the rarest gem.

Emilio needed my help down in one of the staff rooms, so I made sure that Carl knew that I was still heavily in love with him, gave him a plethora heated kisses and watched him walk down to where he was needed.

It's my responsibility to make sure he gets where he needs to safely, and if anyone wants to give him trouble, they can come to me and I will gladly bash their head in.

"Hey, thanks for coming."  
The Hispanic man waves, smiling.  
"That was quick."

"What's up, Emi?"

"Penelope and I can't crack this signal."

"Okay, what kind of signal are we dealing with?"

"Morse code."  
Penelope replies, sliding a small device towards me on the wooden table.  
"I've never learned how to read it properly."

"Someone has been hitting at this thing all damn day."  
Emilio sighs.  
"Can you figure it out?"

Morse Code. I learned this when I was little, and experienced it when I served in the military.

.. ... / ... --- -- . --- -. . / --- ..- - / - .... . .-. . ..--..

Is someone out there?

.--. .-.. . .- ... . / .... . .-.. .--.

Please help!

.--. .-.. . .- ... . / -.-. --- -- . / .- -. -.. / ... .- ...- . / -- . .-.-.- / .. / -. . . -.. / -.-- --- ..- / - --- / .-. . ... -.-. ..- . / --

Please come and save me. I need you to rescue me.

.. / -. . . -.. / -.-- --- ..- / - --- / -.-. --- -- . / - --- / -- . .-.-.-

I need you to come to me.

"How the fuck did you do that?"  
Penelope furrows his eyebrows.

I served in the military under my father at the young age of 16. He was a Sergeant Major, and before I knew it, I was enlisted as a Corporal.

I spent some time as a Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, and did a small run in the Navy as a Seaman.

Although it was a difficult responsibility, I would be lying if I said I didn't miss it. I liked the speed, the pace, the adrenaline of it all. War is never a good thing unless you're ending it or starting your own.

My family— my brothers in combat— I miss those sons of a bitches every single day and I have nothing but everlasting love and respect for all of them.

You don't have the opportunity to come by pure talent and skill like that anymore. Emilio and Ángel are a lot like my brothers overseas, and Kreighton and Penelope are close to it— but no one gets it like Castello.

Master Chief Petty Officer Castello Hollingsworth. A hard working man who has seen a lot of tough shit and disappointment— by that man has so much love for children, the future, and the opportunity to wake up every day and breathe fresh air.

A gregarious hedonist, that man is. You will never come by anyone like him. He's one of a kind.

"We should go find them."

"Bitch, where the fuck did you come from?"  
Penelope groans.

"Everywhere."  
Adelaide replies, strutting towards the three of us.  
"Someone is in trouble, and we should go find them."

"It could be a joke."  
Emilio shrugs.

"I don't think someone would put that much work into a simple joke."  
I say.  
"I bet you it's someone near those towers down the road."

"The radio towers?"

"Yeah."  
I nod.

"I want in."

"Okay, you don't even know what we're talking about."  
Emilio stares at her.  
"You just got here."

"I've been listening."  
She smiles, reaching for the paper in front of me.  
"What'd they say?"

"Can you read Morse Code?"

"Unfortunately, I can't."

"Okay, basically they were trying to see if anyone is near them and if they can come rescue them."  
I explain.  
"The length of a dot is one unit, and a dash is three. Dits and Dahs over Dot and Dash. SOS— three dots, three dashes, three dots again."

Instead of hurrying out into the fresh air to run and try to find who was sending the signal, the four of us decided to hang out in the staff room until midnight, translating each message and replying back to them so that they wouldn't give up.

"If we get to the radio towers, how would we find them?"  
Adelaide asks.

"We'll go down there eventually, and I'll flick the light signal on. That's how we'll get to them. It'll become stronger, and we'll be able to send more messages back."  
I suggest.  
"It'll be easy enough because it's clear that they aren't far, this radio only goes so far out."

If it were any other kind of message, I probably would have ignored it and just wished on the next person to find them— but I felt obligated to spend special time on this person because of Morse Code.

It was ridiculous, but I felt like I was back overseas again, and it hit really close to fuckin' home. If I lost my brothers in combat, we'd attempt to locate them through signals like this, and I couldn't ignore it.

I'm a pessimist, but I was still high off of Carl, and it was blossoming the optimist in me. Whoever they are, wherever they are— the four of us would have to bring a rescue to them and possibly offer the prison as a shelter.

.-- . / .- .-. . / -.-. --- -- .. -. --. .-.-.-

ϟ ϟ


	11. eleven.

E L E V E N  
T H E O D O R E

"Are you sure this is the place?"

"Yeah, I'm positive."

"Do you think they'll come to us, or do we have to come to them?"  
Sebastian asks, crossing his arms over his chest.  
"We're burning daylight."

"Just wait a couple minutes."  
I reply, staring down at what looked like a door that had recently been opened and closed.  
They'll come to us."

I was right. I knew that they'd eventually come out, all it took was for me to send a signal their way, and within a couple of minutes, they were sneaking out of the door and scoping around the area to check for puppies and kittens.

Sebastian, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Emilio all stood beside me as we waited for the new group to reach us. Although we were strangers, they didn't seem to hesitate at all as they came towards me.

Surprisingly, there was only four of them. I saw three guys and one woman— but they looked quite clean and healthy, so they were clearly hiding inside the towers for quite some time to stay away from the danger of the undead.

"Hey."

"You came."  
The blonde man scoffs.  
"We were almost certain that someone was just playin' tricks on us. You know how people are these days."

"Theodore."  
I speak, reaching my hand out.  
"It's a pleasure."

"I'm Dresden— this is Brooklyn, Nicholaigh, and Leilani."

It would be a lie if I said that they weren't beautiful, because they certainly are. Every single one of them.

With that being said— Nicholaigh was gorgeous. I don't know if it was his tan complexion or if it was those bright blue eyes, but goddamn, he was fuckin' heavenly.

None of them seemed to really hold any threat, so I knew it would be okay to bring them back with us to the prison. It was sorta insane because they really weren't that far away, yet they seemed so hopeless over the Morse Code.

Once we arrived back, I had asked Delancey to assign the newcomers their cells, because if she didn't give you a cell, you weren't going to get one.

Delancey is the boss, and she's fuckin' bomb. She has the upper hand and can take your cell away, give it to someone else, or completely move you to a different block. It's up to her.

She assigned the newbies cells in the same block, but two on the lower level and the other half on the top.

Nicholaigh and Dresden were near me, and that was perfect. It was everything I needed and more. It can sometimes be hard to come by good luck, but man, I'm fuckin' living.

Harmony, Penelope, Sebastian, Kreighton, Melbourne, and Ángel were all waiting for me in my cell, but I had to talk to Emilio for a few moments before the two of us went upstairs.

"What's up? Is something bothering you?"

"I can't do 50 days."

"What?"

"We were given 50 days, but I can't give Carl only a month and a half— that's insane."

He scratches the stubble on his cheek and sighs.  
"Why don't you bring him to the meeting?"

"You think that's a good idea?"

"Hell yeah."  
He nods.  
"You love him, and he loves you. I think it's important for him to support you and your beliefs."

"You're right, I should give it a shot."  
I rasp.  
"Think you can kill some time for me while I go see if he wants to tag along?"

"I'll see you up there, Teddy."

Emilio is a wise man. He doesn't always speak up and share his ideas, but whenever he does, you can bet your ass it's going to be a good one.

I do believe that's one of the reasons why we're so close. We share a lot in common, and he's just a good man all around, and he's incredibly intelligent. I don't think I would rather have anyone else by my side other than him. 

I found Carl in his room. He was reading a book that I hadn't seen before, so I was sure that he had already completed the last one and decided to pick another one right back up.

My knuckles knock against the metal bars, making him look up from the pages and immediately smiles.

"Hey, where have you been?"

"Did I ever tell you that we came in contact with some people in trouble?"

"I don't think you mentioned it."

"Well, we rescued them today and I just got back."

"That's so sweet of you."  
He says, closing his book.  
"You're such a good man."

Walking up to him, I place a long kiss upon his pink lips and linger there for a moment before smirking.

"Hey, I have a question for you."

"What is it?"  
He asks.

"I don't know if you're religious or anything or what you believe in, but Buddhism is incredibly special to me, and I was really hoping you would like to one of my sessions."

"Seriously? I would love to!"

"I do it with some friends of mine, and it just wouldn't feel the same if I didn't ask you."  
I admit.  
"I really love you, and I want to share my life with you."

"You know that if you want me to do something, I'll do it, right?"  
Carl says.  
"Every decision, every choice, every move— it's up to you. You're in the driver's seat." 

If I said I wasn't thankful for him, I'd be a lying bastard. Caroline Rose is the epitome of happiness and innocence. You don't come around people as genuine and perfect as he is.

I don't know how I got so fuckin' lucky, but I sure as hell scored the jackpot. I can feel my heart flutter with joy whenever he looks at me with those big, doe-like eyes. I will never be able to look away, he's so mesmerizing and letting him go is not an option.

Everyone was waiting for us in my cell. The men had since removed their shirts and socks like they're supposed to, and Harmony decided to take his socks off as well. We like to make sure that the men have their shirts removed, it's tradition.

If you're younger, you can either take off your socks, or just keep everything on. Carl decided to follow what Harmony did as I take off what I'm supposed to.

Everything was in place, and having the opportunity to get Carl to sit beside me during some of the most important moments of my life is extraordinary.

Harmony stood up, gently picked up the gold crown, and walked over to me, kneeling down in front of me.

"Your crown, sir."  
He says, smiling as he places it upon my head.

As he receives his well-earned kiss on the lips, I forgot that Carl may not understand how things work, so I make sure to turn to him when Harmony sits back down.

"I am so blessed to have you in my life. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I would do it all over again just so that I could fall in love with you even more."  
I confess, placing my palms together as if I was praying.  
"Today, we meditate to relieve the pain, suffering, and negativity in our lives. We do not cry, or yell, or hurt others. This is a safe space, and we are all worthy of love. My kiss is a kiss of healing, and will forever show importance."

Sebastian grins.  
"Carl, welcome. We are proud to have you sitting here with us to take in the positive energy. We love to show everyone the positive spirituality of our beautiful and compassionate king."

"Today, you will yet again give me your mind, body, and soul."  
I explain, turning back to the love of my life.  
"I am number one in your heart, and you are number one in mine. I will drink your tears, take away any pain, and replace the negativity with positivity, spirituality, and good vibes. Do you accept?"

"Yes, of course."  
He nods.  
"Of course I do, sir."

I slick his hair back, taking the hair away from his eyes before I hold onto his cheeks and look him deep into the eyes.  
"You are daddy's princess, daddy's good girl, and the love of daddy's life. You have to promise me that you'll forever be mine, because I will never let you go."

"I promise. I promise you that I will."

"I love you so very much, to the moon and back, and to infinity and beyond, and then some, Caroline Rose."

"I love you."

Although I kiss my princes well, I had to make sure to make this one extravagant. It was long, warm, and chaste. I was ready to pour down the wine and lick it off of his body slowly, twirl my tongue around his hardened nipples and kiss his breasts.

My princess needs to know that I am the powerful force that will sprinkle positivity down onto reality.

Sebastian did the honors of placing the flower crown on Carl's head before kissing both of his cheeks and going to sit back down next to Emilio and Harmony.

I don't take in just anyone. If I believe that you are special and have potential, you can bet your ass that I will sweep you up under my wing and protect you at all costs.

Sebastian, Melbourne, Emilio, Ángel, Harmony, and Kreighton will always be my princes, but Carl is nothing like them. I have never seen so much beauty and innocent and purity in someone before.

Once the session was over, I made sure that Carl stayed inside the cell with me as I blew out the candles and finished up what was left in the vodka bottle that I had stored in one of my drawers.

"You're brilliant."  
I say.  
"You're excellent."

"I think you're pretty amazing."  
He blushes.  
"That was so incredible, Mister Theodore. I have never felt so in touch with the universe and— well, you."

"Do you believe me when I say that I love you?"

"I do."

"I do not ever want you to forget it."  
I husk.  
"I will burn the prison down for you, and I will kill anyone for you, and I will rip my heart out of my chest and give it to you in a box made of diamonds."

I will never find anyone like Carl. No one will ever be as extravagant as the love of my life. My baby girl is the best baby girl in the entire world. My baby girl is one of a kind, and if anyone would tried to copy him, they will be executed immediately.

Carl wanted to lie in my arms and snuggle, so without hesitation, I gave him exactly what he wanted and needed.

I am the happiest man when I have my baby in my arms. He needs affection, attention, and a grown man like me— a real man. I am the greatest man for him, and Rick Grimes will never compete with me.

I will fuck Carl, I will punish Carl, I will discipline Carl, I will spank Carl. I will do everything I need to.

There is no competition, I am the only man in the entire world that is made for Carl. If anyone tries to deny it, I will personally carve out their insides and hang their eyeballs on a Christmas tree like baubles.

Caroline Rose, you are the other half of me. You are the only babygirl who can complete me, and I am the luckiest man to ever exist.

You are going to be the most beautiful wife, and an even more beautiful mother. I will support you, I will protect you, and I will love you. There is nothing that I won't do for you.

I will absolutely never let you go. You are mine, and you belong to me. I fucking love you.

Caroline Rose, I fucking love you so very much, to the moon and back, and to infinity and beyond, and then some.

ϟ ϟ


	12. twelve.

T W E L V E  
C A R L

"You make me nervous when you stare at me like that, sir."

"I just think you're really beautiful is all."

"I'm a mess, that's what I am."

"Well, if you're a mess, I'm a fuckin' tragedy."

"Hardly."

I liked looking at Theodore, too. I didn't like to make it obvious or say when I was doing it, but I know sometimes he catches me glancing up at him— but he never does anything about it.

I've never seen someone have as many tattoos and piercings as Theodore. His nose, lip, eyebrow were all pierced, and he also had a smiley piercing that poked out from beneath his upper lip.

On his ear, he had around six or seven piercings, and I loved every single one. I recognized some of them— like the helix, industrial, and anti-tragus— but others I wasn't sure about.

His fingers, hands, arms, ribs, and behind his left ear had tattoos scattered around. By only guessing, I would think he had around 27 or 30 in total, and I only found myself more attracted to him.

People may think that Theodore is aggressive, pessimistic, sarcastic, and intimidating— which he is— but his overall look only furthered those opinions and comments.

He is your typical bad boy, but to me he is just a gigantic teddy bear— which is ironic because of his name.

"God, I'm the luckiest motherfucker in the entire world."  
He husks, reaching over for my hand and giving it a kiss.  
"You're heavenly."

"I'm nothing special."  
I shake my head.

"Of course, you are."

I think a lot of people are afraid to talk to Theodore because he's such an outgoing and charismatic figure. He's very intelligent, and I know that most people are not on his level of knowledge. He's probably on the same level of intelligence with some of the most intelligent men and women in the world.

Even though he hasn't been at Blackthorn for very long, he's already had a gigantic impact on all of our lives. He's a genius, he's sly, and he's super fun to be around. I can't imagine being able to hate him because he's just so lovable!

When he first put me down on the bed, I was almost shaking with fear. I wanted to be a good girl for him, but I was so scared! I've never done anything like this before and I was worried that I would make him angry.

Theodore smirks, satisfaction oozing from his position at the foot of the bed.

The man begins by kissing and sucking on the bottoms of my feet and the tips of my toes, the black nail polish matching the shade painted on his thumb.

I feel him place his large hands on my thighs before slowly parting them. I gasp softly as he presses a single kiss to my cherry red clit.

He slowly rolls the tip of his tongue along my wet folds and around my throbbing clit. I had already began to shut my eyes because it was so erotic, and we had only just started.

"Open your eyes, princess. I want you to watch daddy as he makes you feel good."  
He husks, humming in satisfaction.  
"That's it— you're such a good girl— you're my good girl."

Theodore rubs two of his thick fingers against my pussy, watching me give into the pleasure and finally having my eyelids flutter and slowly droop.

I could feel the corners of my mouth curling up whenever he praised him. I want to be his good girl, I want him to be proud of me.

He said that I tasted so sweet and he couldn't get enough of my juices as he sucked gently on my clit, holding me still. He told me that if I moved, he would punish me.

My little pussy was soaking, and I had never felt something so sensational. My black painted toes kept curling, my fingers ran through my own hair, and I kept whimpering as he dug his face deeper into my pussy.

I am a good girl— his good girl.

He uses my slick as lubricant and slowly slides his fat cock into my tight pussy as he massages one of my breasts and watches me fall apart beneath him. He had two piercings. One was snug on his tight foreskin and the other was right under his big, swollen ballsack.

He was incredibly fit and muscular, and he smelled like vanilla and coconut.

His soft skin had freckles scattered around, long eyelashes resting on beautiful green and blue eyes.

His eyes traveled down my body several times, up and down, side to side. I couldn't help but think he was mesmerized.

Since I was so petite and thin, I looked so tiny compared to him as he held me in his strong arms.

My aching tight pussy, my small, perky breasts, and hardened nipples that were just begging to be sucked until the milk was all gone.

"Daddy, please..."  
I cry. My voice was so soft, so gentle, so quiet.

A needy, desperate whine escapes from my pouty lips as he pushes the rest of his length in. My toes curled to their full potential and my entire body started to shake. I could barely keep my eyes open.

When he had his face buried between my thighs, I realized how skilled he was and it made me self-conscious because I had no experience with stuff like this.

I gripped his golden hair, arching my back and crying out loud as he tasted my tight pussy, thinking of how I would look with my pink lips wrapped around the head of his gigantic cock; big, doe like eyes looking up at him with innocence and purity. I can swallow like the good girl he wants me to be.

My lacy blue bra had accidentally been kicked away by his foot during the heat of the moment, but that didn't stop him from explaining how much he loves the way it hangs from the soft curve of my perky breasts; my pink nipples hardening, practically begging to be sucked.

He had been turning my bottom a nice shade of pink, edging me until I was dripping wet and begging for his forgiveness.

My tiny breasts bounced up and down, topped with hardened rosy nipples. He captured one in my mouth and suck on it until I began to leak. He was taking something so beautiful, so natural and incredible, and making it sexual and lust-filled.

My back arched, and he hums as he kisses the curve of my tit and latches onto the other with his lips.

I was whining and squirming and whimpering. I couldn't decide if I wanted him to punish me or praise me.

My fingers run through the patch of hair above my clit, his thick cock sliding in and out of my pussy, everything sleek and smooth.

I carefully open my legs wider, fingernails scratching desperately at his back as he rubs the rough scruff on his chin against my sensitive nipples.

"Look at me."  
He growls, large hand trailing up my chest and wrapping around my neck.  
"Look me in the eyes."

I stare at him. He is everything to me. My heart, my protector, my everything.

I gasp loudly, crying out as he rubs his fingers over my cherry red clit at an alarming pace, causing me to squirts viciously, toes curling and eyes shutting tight.

"Babygirl, my cock is all the way inside you...balls fuckin' deep. You fuckin' feel that?"  
Theodore growls into my ear, thrusting into me hard.  
"My cock is in your pussy, so I'm your fuckin' daddy, you know that?"

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm your fuckin' daddy, aren't I? I'm your fuckin' daddy."

"Yes, daddy! Yes, you are."  
I nods, tears falling from my eyes.

"You like that, babygirl? I'm so proud of you. I'm so fuckin' proud of you. You like when daddy fucks that pretty pink pussy deep and hard?"

Having him do this to me felt like absolute and utter heaven. I've never had a man love me the way Theodore does, and it made the situation a little more emotional and perfect.

He couldn't get enough of sucking the milk right out of my swollen breasts. At this point, I wasn't even functioning. His thick cock and swollen balls were slapping up against my dripping pussy, and before I even knew it, I was squirting all over my crotch again, coming once again.

I was practically screaming rather than moaning, and the way I was grabbing at his muscular arms for comfort made him fuck me even harder.

Wrapping his large hand around my throat, he squeezes, gently at first and then his grip gets tighter as he looks down at me, staring me right in the eyes as he continues to fuck me during my very sensitive orgasm.

"My bitch. My babygirl. My princess."

If he didn't already have validation, having his hands around my throat definitely would have done it for him.

He wasn't going to stop until he was ready to stop. Regardless of wether I continued to cum and squirt and shake and whimper and moan— he was going to fuck me until he came.

He slicked my hair back just as he likes it and continues doing his loving duties to me. His grip had gotten a little tighter than I had expected, and it almost began to hurt, but I didn't want him to stop.

It had to've been at least an hour later, I had gone through several orgasms, and it wasn't until I gripped onto his wrists and curled my toes that he began to shoot a massive, heavy load onto me.

No matter how many ropes squirted out of his swollen tip, he just kept on thrusting and cumming and slamming his hips into mine. It was a very healthy, thick load and I was sure it felt even more amazing knowing it was going into the "most beautiful princess in the entire world".

His beautiful princess.

He rolled us over so that I was on top before he begins sucking on one of my breasts again. I didn't know if I was supposed to stop doing something, so I just let him calm down from his high and didn't interfere with what he was doing.

To be honest, I felt so special. Theodore is someone who can make you realize that people really do care about you, and there are people who love me.

I'm not the most outgoing person and I'm the furthest thing from confident, but Theodore made my shaking nerves go away, and I always feel so safe around him.

Although, most people won't try to get to know him, I'm so interested in getting to know more and more and more about him— especially because he's a lot different from the other survivors here in the prison.

Theodore has personality, confidence— he has layers. We're almost complete opposites, and I think that's one of the reasons we go so well together. We balance each other out, and everything I lack, he fills— and everything he lacks, which isn't much, I fill.

It's hard to imagine my life with him right now. He's made such a big difference for me, and it's hard to come by good guys like him. I don't know where the prison would be without his help and effort.

In my eyes, Theodore is sort of like our leader. Obviously, he isn't dad, but he's been doing a lot more than dad would. I don't know if he wants to be our leader, but I would be completely fine with him doing so.

We could all hold a vote. We can pick several people, and then all of the survivors in the prison can vote for who they think would do the best. My vote would go to Theodore, because he's just too good to pass up.

He's just too amazing.

ϟ ϟ


	13. thirteen.

T H I R T E E N  
T H E O D O R E

"Tell me how much you love me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"I can't put it into words— I can't express it."

"That's right, 'cause who's your daddy?"

"You are, sir."

"Absolutely. Caroline Rose, you have no fuckin' clue how much I love you. You are daddy's pretty little princess."  
I husk, flicking my tongue over his lips briefly before intently glaring at his beautiful blue eyes.  
"If you touch me, you'll never be alone. You belong to me now, I make your decisions and I tell you what to do."

He smiles, nodding.

I kiss the side of his neck before sucking down gently in the crook and holding him by his waist to keep him still.

"What if someone sees?"

"So what?"  
I whisper, shrugging.  
"I couldn't give two fucks. Every motherfucker in this place needs to know that you belong to me. You're off limits."

I was interrupted by the sound of several survivors being loud as fuck and welcoming some random bastard back. I can't even suck my girl's tits in peace.

"It's Milo."  
Carl speaks.  
"He's back for two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"Since we help Hilltop, Milo offers to come down for two weeks out of the month to help with supply runs and interior stuff and all that boring adult talk."

"Does he stay with everyone else?"

"Yeah."  
The boy nods.  
"His cell is in the main room with the others."

"Ain't gotta worry about him touchin' you or Harmony, yeah?"

"Don't be so harsh. Milo is a good guy, I think you'll like him. I mean, you are familiar with one another, right? He told Gregory that you knew Milo lived in the mansion."

"I know about him— he doesn't know me."

"Will you promise me that you'll play nice?"  
He asks.  
"You scare people, and they don't know when you're being sarcastic or when you're joking."

"I'll be gentle like you."  
I assure.  
"Baby, you gonna be good if daddy goes out for a bit?"

"I mean, I'll be lonely; but I understand, sir."

"You be a good girl, you hear me?"

"I will."

"Be sure to hang around Nicholaigh and Sebastian, okay? I love you so much, mi amor, I'll back be soon."

"I love you!"

I give him a couple of long kisses on his pouty pink lips before grabbing my rifle from behind him and slowly walking around the perimeter of Milo.

"Hey, welcome back."  
Melbourne rasps, high-giving Milo.

"Thanks, man! It's great to be back."

"Headin' out already?"

"Yeah, who am I with today? Do you know?"

"It's me."  
I growl.  
"You're with me, are you ready? I'm tired of waiting around."

"Hey, Theodore."  
Beau grins.  
"Milo, this is one of our newer survivors— Theodore."

"Super nice to meet you, dude! I love your tattoos and piercings."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."  
I nod, shaking his hand.  
"You have the keys?"

The man jingles them in front of my face briefly before turning around and beginning to walk to the truck.

"See ya, Theo."

"Bye, Beau."

"Give me the fuckin' keys, I'm driving."  
I demand, waiting for him to hand them over.

"So, you're new? How long have you been around?"

"A little while."  
I shrug, pulling out of the prison and onto the dirt rod.  
"Seen some shit, done some shit— but I'm fuckin' living with it, and this prison has my pride and sanity."

"Blackthorn has always been one of my favorite communities; Hilltop is nice and all, but I love the change of diversity all the time here. People come and go, and I love it."

"Hey, they sure do come and go."

The map was set to some old strip mall that only had around 10 or so shops. Six were on the bottom, but the rest were on the second floor.

"Tell me about yourself, Theodore."

"Y'know, I'd rather get to know you."  
I lie.  
"What about that?"

"Okay, that's fair."  
He chuckles.  
"Name is Milo Garfagnini, I'm 28 years old, and I've got a love for my trusty ole shotgun."

"Okay."  
I nod.

"I was with my boyfriend for a little while, but he didn't make it. I had some time to sit back and analyze and figure out how I was going to carry on, and now I'm on the right track."

"Boyfriend, eh?"

"Yeah, he was kind of an asshole, but damn, I still miss him sometimes."

I stop listening for a little while so that I can dig the sharp edge of my axe into a phantom's head before turning back to the Italian man and furrowing my eyebrows.

"I didn't tell you to stop talking." 

He giggles, smiling.  
"Okay, come on; you haven't told me anything about yourself."

"My name is Theodore and I'm 25."  
I shrug.  
"I like tattoos."

"The bad boy type, huh?"  
He asks.  
"I get it. You've had some really troubled past and now you're just trying to make the most of what's left of this world."

"Mmm."

"Was I close?"

"I'll give you that one."

"25, huh? You don't look almost 30."

"You do."  
I tease.

"Damn, that shit burns."  
He laughs.  
"Youth is radiating off of me, man!"

"Lemme guess this time."  
I order.  
"You're lost because you never actually got over your boyfriend. You tell yourself and everyone that you're done with the past, but you're only spittin' that bullshit 'cause you're afraid of the fact that you don't know what the fuck is left for you."

"You're good."  
He nods.  
"Hate to admit it, but you're spot on."

"Sometimes you just need someone to believe in; it takes guidance and trust to turn your whole world upside down."

"Is this the part where you force some Christian religion on me? People seem to think that God is looking out for him."

"That's bullshit."  
I shrug.  
"I'm sure he's been bitten already."

It was a good stop. These things can always go smoother and a lot better, but I wasn't going to complain because we were scoring some pretty decent stuff.

To be completely honest, I was hoping to find some sex shop so that I could pick up a few things for Carl, but it seems as if I was out of luck today.

"You should hold yourself over with more confidence."

"Theodore, if I'm honest, I can't seem to find any."  
He confesses.  
"When Nico— my boyfriend— passed, I lost my wide variety of confidence and haven't been able to find it since. I'm taking it day by day, and don't get me wrong; I love the fact that I'm still alive, but shit gets exhausting after awhile."

"You don't drown by falling in the water; you drown by staying there, y'know."  
I speak.  
"The strong survive, but the courageous triumph."

"How'd you stay so charismatic and outgoing? It's been years, but you don't seem phased at all."

"I became my own beacon of hope. This shit is a piece of cake to me, I love it."

"You love belonging to the undead? Never heard that one before."

"Tough times don't last, tough people do, remember?"  
I lean up against the wall and cross my arms over my chest, staring at the man.  
"If you're a weak link, you either pick yourself up or you die."

"How do you pick yourself up in the middle of all of this?"

"It's simple, you believe in something."

"I don't think unicorns are gonna help me through this."

"Give me your pinky."  
I command, holding my hand out.

He's hesitant, very hesitant; but he does eventually do what I said.

"Okay. What now?"

"What's your greatest fear?"

"My greatest fear?"

"What is it?"

"Spiders."

I couldn't help but smack him right in the face with the palm of my hand. It was insanely loud and a red irritation was quickly arising on his left cheek.

"Don't be a pussy."

"Ouch."  
He whines.

"What do you fuckin' fear the most?"

"Insanity."  
The man whispers.  
"I'm afraid of the insane."

"Why?"

"They're capable of so many things, and they're hardly ever good things."  
He explains.  
"Cancer, Time, Loneliness..."

"You need something to believe in, Milo. Do you realize that?"

"I don't have anything to believe in. I don't have anything."

"Fear is a part of life. It's a warning mechanism. That's all. It tells you when there's danger around. Its job is to help you survive; not cripple you into being unable to do it."  
I husk.  
"If you don't hunt it down and kill it, it will hunt you down and kill you."

Milo looks me in the eyes, visibly worried.

"Do you like stories?"

"Yes."

"You ever hear the one about the stupid little prick named Milo who thought he knew shit but didn't know shit and got everyone he cared about killed?"  
I furrow my eyebrows.  
"You're weak as fuck, man. You need to grow a pair. Look me in the eyes and tell me that I'm everything you've ever dreamt about."

"You are. You are, Theodore."  
He nods.  
"You're not like other people, you're— you're so strong and intelligent and you've got your whole life figured out. How? How'd you get this way?"

"Do you believe in me?"

"Who the hell are you?"

"Milo, I can turn your world into a playground or I can turn it into complete and utter hell. Do you believe in me?"

"I do."  
He nods.  
"Y-you're— you're like a god."

"Take your clothes off."

"What?"

"Take your clothes off. All of them."

Milo Garfagnini used to be Mila Garfagnini, a twenty-eight year old woman who transitioned to what he was always meant to be, but never got the chance to get the surgery done.

I would have never even known. Milo's voice, the thick coat of hair on his body, and how he carries himself convinced me that he was never in the wrong body.

"Do you pledge to give me your mind, body, and soul? Are you willing to give me your negativity, sadness, and fear in exchange for hope, optimism, and a tight bond?"

He nods.  
"I do."

"Promise me that you will never betray me or do me wrong. If you ever do so, I promise you that I will make your life a living fuckin' hell that you will never escape from."

"I promise you, Theodore."

"Get down on your knees in front of me."

Once he did so, his eyes were fixated on my zipper, and I was half expecting him to pull my cock out and go to town, but that's not what I needed him to be on his knees for.

Pulling the whiskey from out of my bag, I open it up and strip my shirt, slowly pouring the liquid down on chest, allowing it to run a trail down my abs and past my naval.

"The thing about hearts is that they always want to keep beating."  
I husk.

Milo licked the whiskey up just like he was supposed to. If he hadn't done the ritual correctly, I probably would have had to stick an axe into his forehead and boast about how he sacrificed himself for me when I got back to the prison.

He wanted to kiss me, it was absolutely obvious. He wanted to touch himself, he wanted to put his body on mine, and he wanted me to take control.

The thing is, he didn't realize that I had already taken control of— not only the situation— but also his life, his mind, and his soul.

Milo officially belonged to me, and I could now stick his heart into my jar and add him to the royal court of hopeful angels back at the prison.

"You now have to do everything I tell you, and I will not take no for an answer."  
I say.  
"You no longer have a say, it is up to me and the control is in my hands. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I promise that I understand, Theodore. Thank you."

ϟ ϟ


	14. fourteen.

F O U R T E E N  
T H E O D O R E

"We'll have to go in through the back if we really want to surprise him."

"That could throw off his entire schedule, and that's exactly what we need."

"Wait, who is this guy?"  
Nicholaigh asks.  
"How long has he been after you?"

"Awhile."  
Castello replies.  
"We've noticed some things have gone missing, and I don't think Negan is the only one out there."

"What about Alpha?"  
Adelaide speaks up.

"Who the hell is that?"  
Leilani tilts her head to the side.  
"Alpha?"

"You don't know about Alpha?"

"I'm not familiar with that name."  
Brooklyn furrows his eyebrows.  
"I think I've heard survivors talk about Negan, but I've never heard about anyone named Alpha."

"The Whisperers, right?"

Everyone looks over at Sloan, who wasn't expecting to have this many eyes on him.

"Yeah."  
Adelaide nods.  
"She's in charge of the Whisperers."

"Back in Maryland, I ran into someone who had come in contact with her. They didn't say much, but the reason they were back on the road was because she had stolen from him and his camp."  
Sloan explains.  
"I don't know if anyone else made it out alive, because he was all alone with I caught up with him."

Adelaide went on the tell us about Alpha, and I was immediately intrigued by the entire situation.

Alpha is known to be a cunning, cruel and savage woman who is a strong leader to those in her group— The Whisperers. She seems to take great pride in her leadership abilities and seems to enjoy the position of power.

She gives off the impression of no longer possessing any emotions or affection, as explained when she coldly rejected her own daughter's attempt to embrace her, telling her to call her "Alpha" instead of mother.

She has emotionally and physically abused her daughter by allowing others to rape and abuse her. Despite this, she does show care for her child, occasionally; if you can even call that "caring".

Despite all of this, Alpha's savageness is very evident, being almost completely remorseless; killing not just for survival but as a message towards her enemies and those who defy her.

She seems to be highly intelligent, using her people to contain one of the largest herds ever encountered by the survivors. 

Adelaide said that they don't have camps and instead live how they were intended to live; without shelter, instead huddling together for warmth. 

They carry a large group of people, disguised in costumes made from the skin of the phantoms. They have several camp fires, livestock, and other necessities.

During her time as a leader, Alpha has managed to sneak inside several safe-zones to learn more about the communities. She then meets the survivors of said community, and responds with the fact that she joined them very recently.

Alpha had been known to say that she encountered some trouble on the road home and that it was unavoidable to the point of turning around and finding a new community to reside him.

This couldn't have been any more perfect than it was. Not only did we have a main enemy, but we had circumstances that would lead us to another. A new group of survivors that I've never dealt with, and it made adrenaline run through my veins.

Leilani, Adelaide, Castello, Kreighton, Nicholaigh, Dresden, Sloan, and Brooklyn all huddled into one of our larger trucks before waiting for me to hop into and give Castello the signal to go.

Our plan was to tear Negan down slowly, one by one. There are many different ways to throw off a leader, and one of them is to take things from them. My mission was to pick apart Dwight, and hopefully drive the man crazy.

If I could beat down Dwight well enough, he'd be manipulated and brainwashed into doing exactly as I say. If I wanted him to throw himself off the roof of a skyscraper, he would do it without any hesitation present.

Since we decided to go through the back of the sanctuary rather than knocking on the front door and walking in, we were going to have to go through several different traps, obstacles, and frustration.

Stepping out of the truck, we took a few seconds to scope around before grouping back up and exploring our options.

Castello, Dresden, Adelaide, and I wanted to go in full-force and pierce some skin with a plethora of sharp bullets.

Nicholaigh, Leilani, and Sloan wanted to take a stealthy route and get things done quickly and quietly.

Brooklyn and Kreighton, on the other hand, didn't really state their opinions. I think they were playing neutral and didn't exactly care how things were done as long as they were done.

I tried to see Nic's side of the whole situation, but it just didn't do it for me. Sure, being a ninja is fun and all, but come on! Why wouldn't you want to bust down the door and fuckin' kill 'em all?

"Hey, why don't we just sneak into the facility, and then we can take it from there?"  
Kreighton asks, taking a few steps back, sending himself into a puddle of water that was poisoned with an electric wire hanging from the ceiling of the cubby we were stood in.

In accidental electrocutions, the most common cause of death is arrhythmia, stopping the heart dead.

Unconsciousness ensues after the standard 10 seconds. Through a study of deaths with electrocution, 92 percent more than likely died from arrhythmia.

Higher currents can produce nearly immediate unconsciousness. Basically, when you are electrocuted your nerves get shocked; causing temporary paralysis, so you wouldn't be able to move anything.

Since your brain is all nerves, you could probably get brain problems and you would pass out. Regardless— most importantly— yes, it would be extremely painful.

His thought process was fuzzy and I could tell that he was going in and out of a frustrating daze as he fingers twitched violently on the damp concrete.

When he was pulled out, I held onto his hand and tried my best to calm him down and make him think about something else. The last thing that I needed was to lose Kreighton. Even though he's clumsy and kinda stupid and definitely doesn't comprehend the delivery of jokes; he's loyal, his heart is full of gold, and he never loses faith in me.

Going through something traumatic by yourself is tedious and it's almost torture. All these bastards can mutter under their breaths, call me some stupid bullshit, or find me fuckin' rude— but you do not leave a brother behind, no matter what. You don't dare save yourself over the other— that's the furthest thing from right.

We had to delay our ambush and get Kreighton out of sight, so Castello and Dresden helped me prop him up on the backseat in the truck.

"I'll stay with him."  
Leilani says.  
"You guys go, and I'll make sure he stays with us."

"Are you sure?"  
Sloan asks.  
"It could come down to you against a whole fuckin' militia."

"I'll be fine, I'm fully loaded on ammunition and these idiots will probably think this is one of their trucks anyways." 

"Be careful, we'll be back as soon as possible."  
Nicholaigh assures.  
"We'll try to make this quick."

"Go! I'll see you soon!"

Negan is a casual, jolly, savage man who adores violence and mayhem. He is very intelligent and logical, possessing a knack for controlling and manipulating others.

He has a strong affinity for profane language and offensive comments and a morbid, perverse sense of humor, seeming to enjoy the shock value. His charismatic persona and domineering presence allows him to easily intimidate friends and foes alike.

The man has a pedantic nature to him, reveling in helping others explore their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. He displays profound moments of wisdom when counseling people, keenly perceptive of abstractions that others may have missed.

Negan's primary weapon of choice is "Lucille", a beautiful baseball bat coated with metallic barbed wire. He has an unusual obsession with it, talking of it with affection and admitting that he uses Lucille as a masturbatory tool on occasions, although this is typical of his humour.

He uses Lucille to kill phantoms and humans alike. Lucille is named after momma, in tribute to her before the apocalypse.

In spite of his violent and savage nature, my old man can be very reasonable for the sake of practicality. He does possess a sense of sympathy underneath his cold exterior, and even a sense of honor that leads him to be repulsed by certain acts against the weak, such as rape.

He believes that his incredible methods of keeping his people in line, which involve burning the faces of rule breakers and using fear to keep people subjected, are to justify a greater good, and he does stick by his own code of ethics— as do I.

Dwight typically hides out in the same spot because he's afraid of changing his daily routine. Once he's finished jerking off, he buries himself in fashion magazines and goes through several glasses of lemonade until he's meant to report back to his boss and do some hard work.

That man is too much of an idiot to realize that I've watched him for years and know exactly what he does every single fuckin' day.

Knocking him in the back of his head into unconsciousness was one of the easiest things I've ever dealt with. I asked for Dresden bandana, wrapped it around Dwight's eyes and then looked around for something to tie him up with.

Adelaide and Brooklyn provided me with some long wiring, and since I was in such a good mood, I decided to let them finish the job rather than doing it all myself. I trusted these people, they're my family, so of course I'll let them tie some stupid bitch up.

"Okay, how do you expect us to drag him out of here?"  
Nicholaigh asks.  
"I mean, we're in some deep shit now, to be honest."

"This is easy."  
Castello chuckles, throwing the body over his shoulder like no big deal.  
"You sure we don't have time to fuck around with anyone?

"We did bring a lot of ammo..."  
I sigh, thinking.

"Kreighton might not make it."  
Sloan speaks.  
"We need to get him back to the infirmary before we lose him."

"He's right."  
Adelaide nods.

It was an unfortunate event, because I was all in favor of shooting someone in the head, but Sloan made a reasonable point. If we spent any more time in here, there was a good chance that I would lose one of my brothers.

Brooklyn and Dresden threw Dwight into the bed of the truck before hopping back there to make sure he didn't fall out while we drove off.

I was excited to get back to the prison because I wanted to throw the man into a cell and torture him and turn him into my little puppet. I want to burn him, kick him, and maybe even knock him in the head a couple of times.

"Easy."  
Castello mutters.

"Can we speed up?"  
Leilani asks.  
"I think I'm— Did we— I think we're losing him."

"I'm going 70."  
Sloan speaks.

"Then go 90."  
Adelaide says.

"If we go 90, Dresden and Brooklyn will fly off that back of this goddamn truck, are you crazy?"  
Nicholaigh scoffs.  
"If we hit something, we're all fuckin' dead."

"Go 65 and cut through the town."  
I order, looking over my shoulder and waiting for a thumbs up from one of the men in the bed.

"I didn't get to shoot anyone."  
Castello growls, checking the ammunition in his shotgun.  
"I want the first cut on this bastard."

"You've got a deal."  
Sloan nods.

"Excuse me, you don't make the decisions, Sloan. I do."

"What? Are you gonna deny Castello?"

"No, but I'm making the fuckin' decisions— you know how this shit works."

"My bad."  
He sighs.  
"Sorry about that, Theodore. Adrenaline is kickin' in."

"It's probably the weed."  
Nic grumbles.

"Okay, that's true, too."

"Should we grab a bowl to celebrate?"  
I ask.

"Hell yeah!"  
Castello nods.

"I'm in."

ϟ ϟ


	15. fifteen.

F I F T E E N  
T H E O D O R E

"Why do you have to do this? Come on, Theodore. You know me— we know one another."

"I don't have to, I want to."

"Please— please! I will do anything! I'll do anything."

"Tell me everything you know about Alpha."

"What? Who? Who is that?"

"You want me to dunk you again?"

"No!"

"Cut the bullshit, you know who I'm talking about."

"O-O-Okay. Um, okay, s-she, uh..."

"You don't want to talk now?"  
I ask, stepping forward.  
"That's okay. I have all day, Dwight."

Dwight was quickly stripped naked, then laid on his against the cold metal bars that restricted prisoners from the outside world of their cell. Jedidiah and Nicholaigh helped me out by attaching straps on his body to restrain the him in a position convenient for us, with his legs spread and arms away from the sides of his body.

To prevent movement and obnoxious squirming, I tightened the straps as much as I could before taking a step back to look at my masterpiece.

Although I had two of my most loyal men right next to me, I decided to call Milo down to do some of the extra detailing. I ordered him to heavily stimulate Dwight's genitals, with vibrators and ointments to increase sensitivity, and then making sure he let me know when he was finished.

The bucket of ice cold water was tediously poured down on Dwight's body, already causing him to yelp and try to get away from me, but the straps weren't going to budge.

Electricity was drawn from a staticky socket on the concrete wall and fed to him through a control box that was connected to him by two wires terminating in electrodes. The controls in Nicholaigh's hands allowed us to adjust the voltage, level, and the severity of the electric shocks that would soon be piercing into his veins.

Even though we began gentle and generous, I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere with him, thus making me have to ask Nic for a higher dose.

After that, Dwight still refused to talk to me and instead just shut his eyes and acted like a child. When your baby knows they're in trouble, they throw their hands over their eyes or just close them because they are under the impression that doing so will prevent you from seeing them.

I asked him to cooperate one last time before turning to Castello and Delancey for help.

Due to their high intelligence and incredible scheming, they work very well together— which only allowed me to grow stronger and more advanced.

Castello had the brilliant idea to fix the wires and instead wrap them around the head of Dwight's penis head, and replace our extra wires with a mesh wiring bag that fit snugly over the his testicles— and Delancey thought about the possibility to insert a thin metal rod into his urethra, and I fucking loved it.

Jedidiah and Kreighton applied metal clamps to his nipples and clitoris, deciding not to worry about the labia and instead just use the two earlier methods. Once attached, we gained more power and therefor were allowed to amp up the electrocution by a couple of levels. I wanted to give Delancey and Castello a turn with the control box, but they insisted to just watch. They wanted to see this and be surprised by what Nicholaigh decided to do. 

Our methods caused excruciating pain, especially now that his groin was involved. Rather than yelling, he was practically screaming at this point, and tears were beginning to run down his cheeks as he begged us to stop and let him go.

I grew tired by having to see his hideous face, and although I loved watching him cry, I wanted to stimulate this whole situation and make it worse for him.

I kept him blindfolded to add to the sense of helplessness as it would turn out to be impossible to predict where and when the moving electrode would travel and shock. I could have done this all day, and I really wanted to, but my plan wasn't to kill him— it was to humiliate and torture him.

"Are you going to talk now?"  
I furrow my eyebrows, removing the blindfold.  
"Do we need to continue? I can sit here all day and play a hate with you if that's what you'd rather prefer."

His droopy eyes searched around the room for a few brief seconds before finally finding my face. Due to the fact that his whole body was shaking and his veins were practically being fried, he couldn't muster up the ability to speak until several moments of trying to move his jaw.

"I-I..."  
He mutters.  
"Please."

"Milo assist Kreighton and help him remove the restraints. Dwight has decided to talk."  
I demand, the two men nodding and immediately doing so.

Turning around and stepping towards Castello, Delancey, Jedidiah, and Nicholaigh— I give them all a soft smile before opening up my mouth.

"I need you all to go start the Toyota and the truck, grab Dresden and Adelaide, and wait for further instruction, yeah?"

"Of course."  
Jedidiah replies.  
"Who else do you want to tag along?"

"Melbourne, Nicholaigh, Castello, and Emilio."  
I rasp.  
"I need the rest of you to stay here and kept this motherfuckin' shit hole from burning down."

"I'll retrieve his clothes from the basket and get him dressed for the ride."  
Delancey assures.  
"He'll be awake and ready to go in a hot minute."

"Thank you. All of you."

My dream was slowly becoming true. I can't even express how quickly things were being done. It was almost like I was immediately driving away from the prison, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't appreciate it.

"Theodore, can I say something?"

"You just did."

"I don't trust her."  
Melbourne growls, staring at Adelaide, making her turn to us.  
"I see right through your act, princess."

"And you'll thank me once this is done."  
She retorts, slipping her long hair over her shoulder.  
"On to the next one."

Adelaide is the firecracker that we all need. If Beau thinks he can slide one by her, he's going to be sadly mistaken. You can't remove her, you can only remove yourself. If he cannot get over his ego, I will have no choice but to execute him.

"You probably won't have any use for your dick now, but it's important for you to know that you could have avoided all of this."  
I shrug, looking over my shoulder to see Dwight.  
"I asked you very nicely to cooperate, and you forced me to do that to you. I would apologize, but I don't have anything to be sorry for. You're a fuckin' pussy."

"We just want to know everything about Alpha."  
Adelaide speaks, placing her hand on his shoulder.  
"It doesn't matter if it isn't very much, you still gave us information nonetheless."

"S-She— Alpha has a, she, um, she has a poor relationship with her daughter."

"What's her daughter's name?"

"Lily— L-Lilith?"  
He stutters, fingers twitching.  
"Ly—Lydia! Her name i-is Lydia."

"Okay, what else can you tell us?"

I was allowing Adelaide to ask all the questions, I couldn't help but relax in the driver's seat and listen to them have a conversation while I sped down the road.

"Alpha forces Lydia to refer to her by her name, rather than c-calling— calling her mom. She also ignores Lydia's cries for help and mostly everything else."

"See? This isn't so bad, right?"  
Adelaide smiles.  
"This is all we wanted from the beginning."

"She believes it to be a part of nature far older than this terrifying world. Lydia thinks her mother refuses to protect her, and is always neglected and abused by her both physically and emotionally."

"I appreciate your cooperation."  
The woman behind me assures, crossing her legs and wiggling the heel of her thigh-high boots.  
"I'm sorry, Dwight, but you know too much."

Digging the sharp heel into his heart, she keeps it there for a little while, watching Dwight turn to her with eyes that were quickly becoming empty and lifeless.

Dark red blood was streaming down his shirt, and his body was slowly beginning to stop twitching. His head tilted to the side and stayed there as his last breaths were hardly pleasurable.

Pulling her boot out of his skin, she wipes her hand on his cheek and sliding the boot back onto her leg, beginning to braid a couple strands of hair on the side of her head.

I was smirking at her through the rear-view mirror. I couldn't express my happiness and appreciation for her. Everything that she had done so far only made me further the thought of giving Adelaide her own kingdom when this whole thing blew over.

Àngel and Sebastian were in charge of getting rid of Dwight's body. I made sure that they know that they could do anything they wanted with it. I couldn't have cared less, I didn't give a fuck about what happens to him. 

My mind was focused on the celebratory bubble bath that I was able to indulge in with my baby girl. I had been storing a couple bottles of beer, and this was the perfect time to finish a few of them off.

As soon as the two of us were naked in the tub, I pull her into my lap and allowed him to lay her head down against my chest as I snuck a few sips of beer.

"Is this painful?"  
She asks innocently, tracing the very swollen veins popping out on my arm.  
"What is it from?"

"Not one bit."  
I shake my head.  
"Daddy had a long day at work, sweetheart."

"I missed you so much."

"I missed you more, you know that?"

I was able to sneak my fingers down between her small thighs and rub my fingertips against her cherry red clit and soft core.

My day consisted of getting shit done and doing a damn good job at it, so it wouldn't be right to just shut off the world and do my own thing— I needed to show my success to Caroline Rose and give my princess a wet and wild ride.

She allowed me to give her slow, suckling kisses down the side of her neck and play with her tiny bouncy breasts. Every king needs a queen, and I knew from the beginning that Caroline Rose is my beautiful queen. You don't get perfect like her very often, and I'd be a stupid little bastard if I ever let her go.

"You know how much Daddy loves you, right?"  
I husk, sliding a single finger inside her.  
"More than the sun, the stars, the moon; more than the galaxy and universe— more than infinity and beyond, babygirl."

She was so good, such a good girl for me all the time. She was crying and whimpering and squinting in my lap as I made no hesitation to slide another finger in and go full force, continuing to drink my beer and keep her close to my chest.

"I'm going to love you forever; you're never going to be able to let go of me, you understand?"

She nods, blushing.  
"I understand, mister."

Curling my fingers, she gasped loudly— letting out a very squeaky whine, clinging onto me more.

"A world without you is a world that I do not want to live in. If I ever lost you, I would kill myself; life isn't worth living if I can't spend it with you."  
I confess.  
"I would be nothing, and I would lose my girl. I will put a crown on your head, and I will forbid it coming off because you are always going to be my queen. You are worth more than anything and everything in the entire fucking world, and I am going to give you everything you deserve."

ϟ ϟ


	16. sixteen.

S I X T E E N  
T H E O D O R E

"Sloan, Brooklyn, and Milo are my concerns."

"I don't know about the other two, but I really don't think Milo is going anywhere. You're a god to him."

"Ángel has been having some doubts about him, and now I'm just evaluating all my options."

"If he can't stay, we'll be down one more person. We're finally jumping over the shit that was thrown at us."  
He explains, washing the shampoo out of his hair.  
"Kreighton barely survived the incident, and he's going to be slowing us down for a couple of days until he gets all of his strength back." 

"He's a good guy, he really is— but I go back and forth on figuring out if he's good enough."

"I think he's good enough. He's loyal and he seriously believes in you. You're right, he's a good guy."

"What do you think is best?"

"I'm not a god like you are. I can't tell you what's best."

"Yes, you can."  
I retort.  
"I don't care if you take it from the perspective of my right-hand man, my best friend, my brother, or my partner in crime— just give it to me."

"I think you should keep all of us, I really do. We're stronger than ever, and we'll only go up from here."

Harmony, Melbourne, Penelope, Castello, Ángel, Emilio, Caroline Rose, Leilani, Delancey, Sebastian, Kreighton, Dresden, Adelaide, and Nicholaigh. I'm a lucky man, it's not everyday where you find yourself surrounded by intelligence and loyalty.

Sloan, Milo, Brooklyn, and Jedidiah were my worries. Even at this point, I still couldn't figure out what Brooklyn's intentions were— mostly because he often stays on the side of neutrality and doesn't voice his opinion.

The way I see it, that shows cowardly and capricious behavior; which doesn't slide with me very well. If he wasn't serious about staying with me, then I would be forced to handle the situation in a way that I try to avoid.

Milo has always been a scared little fucker. No matter the situation, he constantly puts out an aura of fright and indecisiveness. I find myself imagining him running away quite often, and that is the biggest reason why he's on my hit list.

Jedidiah is hard to understand. He doesn't talk much, and he often has a dark stare that never goes away. He's been great so far, and I haven't had any issues with getting him to do anything, but his independence can be off-putting and I don't appreciate that.

Sloan doesn't have any significance of importance in my mind. It's honestly quite a blur when I think about him because of how little he's done for me. I don't get along well with people who aren't as strong as I am, and I have to stop myself from wanting to drop-kick him in the face. A dilettante if you will.

When Emilio and I finally rinsed the soapy substance off of our bodies, we stepped out of the shower and began to dry off.

I could have stayed in the shower with him longer, but I had important business to attend to, and if I was late, it was my going to be a good thing for me or my relationship.

Earlier, I had full intentions to weave one side of my hair into Ghana braids, but my schedule quickly turned upside down and changed drastically when Carl didn't have anything to do and I wanted to treat him to something very special.

Giving Emilio a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek, I said goodbye to him and we went our separate ways. He had been incredibly interested in checking the radios and everything for Morse Code signals with Dresden, and I was happy because it took a little bit of weight off my shoulders.

"Hi, honey bee."  
I husk, wrapping my arms around his small waist and pressing several kisses against his pouty lips.  
"Am I late?"

"No."  
He shakes his head, nudging into my embrace of warmth and affection.  
"You're a little early."

"You want to go ahead and get on the road? I'm ready to give you everything you're not expecting." 

"Yeah, let's go!"

As soon as we got into the dark blue truck, I immediately began pulling out of the prison's entrance and sped up to reach the intersection a bit faster.

I hadn't been able to treat Carl with anything special these past few days, and it was starting to take a toll on my overall mood, mostly because I was letting my princess down— and I do not fail. Ever.

I wanted to stare into his blue eyes, but if I went through with that, I'd more than likely crash right into a tree or telephone pole.

I wanted to count his freckles, I wanted to rub his tummy, I wanted to play with his hair— but driving needed to be my main concern, and that was fine, because I would definitely be treating him to something extravagant very soon.

Nicholaigh, Dresden, and Emilio offered to help me pull this whole date off, and I was happy that they did. I was more than capable of doing it myself, but the three of them insisted that they'd make it even better than it already would have been.

Carl likes picnics and close intimacy. One of the easiest things to pull off would probably end up being one of the things a survivor these days wouldn't mess with— but this was all very important to me.

After I take all the food out of the basket, I toe my boots off and sit up straight, pouring him a beverage before choosing between beer or wine for myself.

Beer is always a good choice, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to have a bottle or two.

"I've never had a picnic before."  
He says.  
"This is nice."

"I don't think a lot of people would risk it, but I don't see the harm in trying. I'll do anything and everything for you."

"I had also never been on a date before I met you, but I think that's because all of this happened and I didn't have a chance."

"There's a first time for everything, you know? I figure since I'm going to be spending the rest of my life with you, I might as well get a picnic out of the way."

"The rest of your life?"  
He blushes.  
"I'm a lot to put up with."

"No, you're not."  
I shake my head.  
"You just don't realize that you're a princess and every king needs one."

"I like how charming you are, sir."

"I like how beautiful you are."

It wasn't a lie. I do love how beautiful he is.

"Hey, I've got something for you— that's okay, yeah?"

"You got me something?"  
He asks.  
"I-I didn't get you anything."

"I got some help, so I can't take all the— you know, fuck it, I'll take all the credit."

Giggling, he waits for me to open up the tiny black case.

"This is a ring for you. I was lucky enough to find someone like you, and I want you to know that this is a token of my appreciation and love and care. I've never had someone take my breath away like you do."  
I explain.  
"Someday, I'll get you a bigger ring and I'll be down on one knee, but this is it for today. I really hope you like it, baby."

"It's so pretty."  
He squeaks, smiling as he leans forward to hug me.  
"I love it— and I love you."

"I love you so fuckin' much, sweetheart. I really do."

I've dated a lot of people in the past, but they mostly always ended up being fully based on sexual attraction, rather than the other important things. 

With Caroline Rose, I know for a fact that I can be myself and that I'll have my baby's support no matter what I do or what I go through.

I will not ever regret meeting him, because it's like the universe was waiting for us to come together for the longest time— and at this point, I refuse to let go.

Delicate kisses turned into sexual tension and affection in the bed of my truck. As if a switch turned on, I suddenly had Caroline Rose in my lap, begging and moaning.

I continued to kiss her, running my hands down her back and onto that perky little ass that drove me crazy in those tight jeans.

She bats her eyelashes at me, innocence and purity pouring out of her veins like magic.

To make matters even better, she felt the need to ask for permission to go further. Obviously, I wasn't going to neglect her of being able to touch a real man's body.

Her fingers fiddle over my jeans as she kisses my stomach, trying her very best.

My tight jeans came down, and so did my boxers. Afterwards, she looks at my length with shock and a little bit of fright in her eyes.

Caroline Rose swallows and slowly placed her shaky hands at the base of my cock, beginning to give me nice, rhythmic pumps.

Her pink tongue pokes out and gently kitten licks my tip, placing small kisses and running her tongue over my tight foreskin.

Placing the tip of my cock into her mouth, she looks up at me and hesitantly swirls her tounge around the mushroom head. She had never done this before, and she was super nervous, but I couldn't help but love the innocence in her eyes.

She was enjoying herself, and that's what mattered the most. I needed her to be comfortable and happy or else I would cut this short and make her wait until she was fully ready. Forcing my baby girl into doing something that she isn't into, definitely isn't my thing.

Licking and sucking with those swollen pink lips, holding a tight grip on the base with her hands, and staring up at me like I was her entire world— and I was.

"There you go, princess."  
I husk, carefully running my fingers through her soft dark hair.  
"Nice and slow, sweetheart."

She began to go back and forth between sucking on the tip, and licking and sucking the underside of my cocks and my heavy, swollen balls.

Caroline Rose just wanted to be a good girl for daddy, and it was heavenly. She's been behaving so well and trying her best, and I couldn't help but continue to smile at her and praise her every move.

Saying I was proud would be one of the biggest understatements ever. This was so natural and beautiful, and I wouldn't have changed it for anything. The art of sexual affection and the beauty of my girl— she needed to be in The Louvre being that gorgeous.

Caroline Rose would be my wife eventually, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. The heavens sent the girl of my dreams down to me, and it was such a blessing.

She loves her daddy, and daddy loves her even more. This is the kind of love that Rick Grimes would never be able to give her, hell, he can't even say he loves her without it sounding fake.

I was made to take care of her and make sure she lives the best life she can. I am the reason that she is happy, loved, alive, and comfortable. I did all of this work, not Rick Grimes.

You cannot explain my attraction to her. If someone tried to dumb it down for you, they would still come up short because this is nothing like people have ever seen before. You don't get lucky enough to love an angel like her.

Mine.

If it came down to me having to teach someone a lesson, I would not hesitate to execute them for not knowing that Caroline Rose is mine, and only mine.

I will never let her go, and I will never allow her to leave. She is my princess, and I am going to treat her like the queen she deserves to be.

ϟ ϟ


	17. seventeen.

S E V E N T E E N  
C A R L

"This is Avery, Lux, Prince, and Keiji from The Kingdom."

"Pleased to meet you all."

"You're familiar with Paris, I'm sure. Alessandro And Reece come from her home down at Oceanside."

"Hello."

"Graham is from Hilltop, and so are the Beauregard twins— Peyton and Leyton."

"Hi!"  
The two boys squeak in sync, smiling.

My dad had freaked out and pulled an unnecessary move. Even though Theodore, Castello, and Emilio served as our leaders, my dad went behind their back and called for reinforcements.

Teddy, Cas, and Em do a fantastic job at leading us, I think everyone can agree with me on this one. We don't need little backstabbers to go around and cause trouble that is only going to come back to bite all of us in the ass.

Avery, Lux, Prince, Keiji, Paris, Alessandro, Reece, Graham, and the twins would come in handy for this chaotic storm that was brewing our way— but with that came the frustration of having 10 new mouths to feed.

Although Theodore was enjoying being able to stare at all the new hot men and boys that just joined our team, I could see him balling his hand into a fist behind his back.

None of us were prepared for this to happen, and it would be incredibly rude to turn these newcomers away, especially when our luck was being tested to the extreme.

"I'd like to speak with all of you, please."  
Teddy rasps.  
"Come with me to my office, yeah?"

Following him like a shadow, Melbourne closes the door behind all of us and the room fills with a tense silence. I wasn't sure what was about to go down, and I could tell— just like me— Emilio was a little worried about what Teddy was going to say and how he was going to act.

"Avery, Lux, Prince, Keiji, Leyton and Peyton, Alessandro."  
The man growls, although it wasn't in a mean way, that's just how he talks!  
"Graham, Reece, and Paris, is that right?"

"You've got it."  
Avery nods.

"Yeah."  
Lux sighs.

"I'll be honest— I wasn't fuckin' expecting to meet all of you today, let alone make sure you've got a place to sleep."  
Teddy admits.  
"I'm at a loss of fucking words because this was not supposed to happen."

"But we're happy to have you guys here with us."  
Emilio speaks, patting Teddy on the back.  
"Thank you for accepting the... shocking invitation."

"It's no problem."  
Paris smiles.  
"I now understand that this wasn't intentional, and I'm sorry that you have to put up with all this stress, but I can tell you that we're worth it."

"We're all sorry, but to be honest, we all have something to bring to the table."  
Keiji says, and I was not expecting such a soft and calming voice to come out of him.  
"I promise you, Theodore. We've got this."

CASTELLO is our Commander, he keeps everything in check. He serves the lead position and he holds all the power each and every single one of us. He has an amazing leadership attitude, logistical planning skills, and awesome interpersonal skills. I think he's so brave and magnificent because of his time in the Navy.

EMILIO is the advisor. He helps to make sure that everyone gets to have the voice that they deserve, and he's able to make it very clear when things are being taken too far and or need to be stopped. Emilio is very valuable to us.

THEODORE, our medical surgeon and enforcer. Teddy holds very important authority, he's the best at leading by a display of force or brutality. A group needs to function well, and he's able to get the respect of everyone within seconds. He's powerful, and he's not afraid to assassinate, or brutalize when neccesary.

ADELAIDE, an Empress. Much like a Queen, Adelaide does her fair share of ruling and protecting; but she fits in the most with the raiders and scouts. She's the boss, and she is not to be messed with.

DELANCEY, the Survivalist. People may not think that this is important, but to us, it's crucial. She has extensive knowledge in the outdoors and specializes in trapping and general survival knowledge of.

ÁNGEL, a Guard. One of the most important jobs around here is making sure the prison stays safe from any danger that could come out from the shadows. Ángel is headstrong, courages, and genuine; he makes the perfect guard. 

DRESDEN, our Communication Specialist.  
Prior knowledge in communications can be valuable, whether it deals with two-way units, ham, or other systems— and Dresden brings the power. He spends his days constantly trying to contact any survivors or trying to see if any governing body, should one remain, be planning a rescue or a city cleansing. He is also in charge of keeping track of where the scouts are located and report to Teddy, Emilio, and Castello about upcoming events or emergencies.

LEILANI, a Supply Manager. We have a moderately large group that continues to grow every single day, and she sets up a form of rationing to save supplies. She and Castello work together to make sure that all members are given the same rations if they are pulling their weight, but this doesn't mean she refuses any supplies to a member who is unable to provide supplies or has had a run of bad luck. This is the perfect job for her because she is so trustworthy and fair.

HARMONY, the Surgeon's Assistant. Believe it or not, having someone to help out and serve the purpose of an intern is crucial to our survival. We needs as many hands as possible in the infirmary, because who knows what can go down in there. 

NICHOLAIGH, an Agricultural Expert. He has extensive knowledge in horticulture, animal husbandry, and use of agricultural vehicles and equipment— which is a must for any long term survival teams just like us. He knows how to grow and manage crops and control livestock; he knows the soil, what can grow, how much water it will need, and much more. Without him, I don't even know what we would do.

MELBOURNE AND KREIGHTON, the Raiders.  
This is typically for the kind of person who needs to serve some of the toughest, most rugged personalities, willing to kill for the benefit of their people— which is exactly what Melbourne is. Although it was an unpopular decision, we figured out that Kreighton works incredibly well during stealth and time-consuming missions, and he definitely pulls his weight.

BROOKLYN, our Chef. Food is obviously an important necessity and Brooklyn is the one who prepares it for safe consumption. He also knows what kind of food can keep everyone in shape and always have good condition, which everyone is thankful for.

JEDIDIAH, the Blacksmith. Bullets begin to run out eventually and some of our focus starts to lean on more traditional weaponry. Though very rare now-a-days, Jedidiah is proving to be extremely useful in forging knives, spears and swords, as well as armour to further protect our people from dying at the hands of the living dead outside.

PENELOPE, an Explosives Specialist.  
He is a powerful force, and he's proven to be incredibly proficient in manufacturing and operating such weaponry for when needed. In the wrong hands, explosives can be extremely dangerous, so Penelope is definitely one of the most treasured men in our bunch.

SEBASTIAN, a Mechanic. He keeps our well-organized group out of trouble. He can fix and maintain generators, radios and vehicles; which goes very well with Dresden and his profession.

SLOAN, the Teacher. Now that Harmony, The Twins, and several other younger children have resided here, they still need to learn vital skills, and as soon as possible. He can keep discipline among the children, which is very important since any noise they make will be heard by walkers or bandits.

MILO, the Fisherman. Milo works wonders with the help of Delancey, Brooklyn, and Nicholaigh by his side. He can catch near-limitless food sources, and at a quicker rate. They are one of the best teams I have seen in a long time.

ALESSANDRO, a Scientist. Surpassingly, having a scientist in our group is a huge asset. Microbiologists, bioengineers, virologists, and immunologists can be vital for making basic medicines for our infirmary.

PARIS, our Huntress. Most useful in both the country and city, she has a natural sense of the terrain. She can help keep the supplies coming in or threats, such as feral animals, under control.

AVERY, the Soldier. Avery is brave, muscular, and incredibly strong, and he does a good job of keeping the peace among the survivors. He's almost like the police force, he knows the law, can enforce it and most of all, perform effectively and fairly. Just like Castello, he served in the Military, and it sure does pay off.

KEIJI, our Surgeon. In any world, the sick and injured need proper treatment. Keiji learned his first aid and other life-saving techniques while in Tokyo for several years. He's also a key element for helping injured or sick animals, which may come in handy.

PRINCE, the Psychiatrist. Although never given the chance to finish up his major in college before the outbreak, he can help keep people in good mental health; something very important in the world we now all live in.

LEYTON AND PEYTON, both Scouts and Medical Assistants. Due to being so little, they're quick, quiet, and observant, getting out of any situation with no problems at all. They know vital locations of their designated areas like shortcuts, choke points, dead ends, and more. They don't attract any unwanted attention.

GRAHAM, a Tradesman. Without a guy like Graham with us, building shelters or transporting fresh water around would be difficult. He's charismatic and persuasive, two both very good traits to have.

REECE, lastly, our Lookout. Everyone knows that we need someone with perfect vision and sensory skills to keep an eye out at all times, and Reece is a perfect fit.

"You're all a part of our family now, and it's crucial to stick together and stay focused."  
Castello husks.  
"If there's an issue, you come talk to me— not Theodore or Emilio, you come to me."

"I think you guys are all going to love it here, and I'm so happy that we're able to grow stronger."  
Emilio smiles.  
"You're all dismissed, Delancey should be assigned you to a cell right about now. Thank you."

Once the newcomers left, the room was filled by Teddy, Castello, Emilio, Melbourne, Nicholaigh, and Dresden— oh, and me, of course.

"Thank you for being nice."  
I praise, wrapping my arms around Teddy. I wanted a hug, and I wanted him to hold me.

"Babygirl, I'm going to kill that man."  
He growls.  
"—In my sleep. I'll feel better about it when he's out of my mind."

"Trust me, my dad isn't going to try and cross you. You're too much of a threat to him."

He insisted on taking me back to our cell and snuggling up in bed. I will literally never deny him of any sort of affection or need, I am more than willing to cuddle with him for hours and hours and hours.

His boots and socks came off, and so did his shirt. With a huff, he got onto the bed and held his muscular arms open for me; which I greatly appreciated.

"When we get this shit figured out, I promise you that I will give you the kingdom I've been promising you."

"I understand that your work has to come first, you don't have to worry about it, okay?"

"No."  
He retorts, shaking his head as he runs his fingers through my hair and begins playing with the soft strands.  
"I don't break my fuckin' promises, princess. You keep holding onto my hand and I will give you the life you deserve."

"People don't think about me very much, daddy."  
I confess.  
"I don't know what I did to get so lucky with you, but I'm glad I did."

"It's you and I forever, sweetheart. If something stands in our way, I'll kill it immediately. No one is going to slow down the damn process of me giving you a kingdom as fuckin' gorgeous as you."

"I love you."  
I whisper.  
"Always And forever."

"I love you so fuckin' much, babygirl— to the moon and back, and then some."

ϟ ϟ


	18. eighteen.

E I G H T E E N  
T H E O D O R E

"Can we talk? There's a problem."

"What's up, sweetie?"

"Dresden, Nic, and Avery need to talk to you in the radio office."

"How bad is it?"

"It could be bad or it could be good, I don't know."

"Thank you, Paris."

I had to completely turn around and go the other way. I was hoping to be able to stop by Rick Grimes' cell and scare him a little bit, but now my plans were flipping upside down.

Dresden, Nic, Avery, Jedidiah, Harmony, and the Twins were all inside the office, scattered around the circular wooden table. They seemed to be intently staring down at some papers, so I was interested to see what was going on.

"You needed to see me?" 

"Hey, Teddy. I need you to come look at these charts."

"All right."  
Nodding, I place my palms on the tabletop and study the neat writing on all of the papers.  
"We're here?"

"Yes."

"And this is the horde?"

"You've got it."  
Dresden nods.  
"Nic and the Twins took some tests, and these are all of the results."

"We're very behind on a head start."  
Leyton sighs.

"If we want to make it, we can't stay here."  
His brother continues.

"Delancey is on our side. She thinks we're onto something."  
Jedidiah shrugs.

"I wouldn't call it a side."  
Avery shakes his head.  
"It's a fact. These are the results, we don't get a yes or no."

"How long would you say we have?"  
I ask.

Nicholaigh thinks for a moment.  
"I wouldn't even say two days."

"I can work with that. I want everyone to pack their things up and getting ready by 11."

"Wait, we're just leaving?"  
Harmony frowns.  
"Mister, we can't move 60+ people in just two hours."

"We can."

"This is my home, I love it here."

"Come here, butterfly."  
I sigh, leaning down a little bit to get to his height.  
"The last thing I want to do is take this away from you. I know this is the place you've grown to love, but I can't set the world on fire if you're left behind."

"Sir, you said that we would make this into a kingdom."

"You know, there are times where things have to change drastically for the well-being of ourselves."  
I explain, holding onto his hands.  
"I love you, and I refuse to leave you behind— so, I need you to put that pretty little smile on for me, okay? Can you do that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Promise, baby?"

"I promise."

It was a risky move, but I was under the impression that we had more time when in reality, we barely had any. I knew that people were going to have some stupid shit to say, and quite frankly, I really couldn't give two fucks.

I felt bad because Carl didn't have any idea what I was talking about when I started to pack his things up. I believe I had to repeat it around three times to him so that we could comprehend and understand where I was coming from.

I need my family, so if the others don't want to come, I don't care. I'm only concerned about the lives of my people, not these pussy ass motherfuckers who hide in their cells.

"Teddy, can I please have a word with you?"

"Hey, sugar plum! Come on in."

"Hi, Carl. How are you, darlin'?"  
Emilio asks, giving my baby a hug.  
"I know y'all are packing, but this is important."

"It's no problem, you know I've always got time for you."

"Not everyone is on board with your big decision."  
He explains.

"Who?"

"All the people who don't have names."

"They have names, but you guys haven't learned them."  
Carl giggles.

"Hey, princess— I know them— y'know, actually, I don't. I really just don't care."

"Regardless, a lot of them don't want to come."

"That's fine, Em."  
I shrug.  
"It's okay if they want to basically kill themselves."

"Teddy!"  
Carl scolds.  
"You can't say that."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart."

ÁNGEL, CASTELLO, LUX, DRESEN, ADELAIDE, LEILANI, DELANCEY, PARIS, HARMONY, AVERY, NICHOLAIGH, MELBOURNE, PEYTON, LEYTON, BROOKLYN, SLOAN, SEBASTIAN, KREIGHTON, GRAHAM, KEIJI, PRINCE, REECE, RICK GRIMES, AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT I HONESTLY DON'T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT.

It was fine. I know for a fact that I am the most intelligent leader these people have ever had, and my decision is going to better our lives. My kingdom can be built somewhere else, away from the horde.

Getting on the road was interesting because instead of taking two hundred vehicles, we thought staying on foot would be a lot more efficient because fuel, noise, and several others things wouldn't be an issue to us.

"You think I made the right decision?"

"I think so."  
Carl nods.  
"I don't want you to second guess yourself, Teddy. You're an amazing leader, and you don't take second place."

"Harmony has been worried that I won't be able to have my kingdom with you."

"You get everything you want. If you need a kingdom, someone will bring you a kingdom."

Walking with our large group wasn't the hard part. To be honest, it was going quite well and I didn't expect to have any issues arise, and then we went came to the highway.

Everyone began to feel a little disoriented, mostly because passing it by would be a lot more difficult than we had anticipated. Rushing waters and waves were crashing and flowing below us, and the road was begging to be allowed to crumble and fall.

"All right."  
Castello clears his throat.  
"I'll cross in front of the truck first, but Keiji, I want you to hand off the twins to me one by one."

"I-I'm too scared to cross."  
Leyton frowns, Peyton nodding and stepping closer to his twin brother.  
"W-What if we fall?"

"Hey, sugar."  
Avery sighs, kneeling down in front of the boys.  
"No one is going to fall, all right? Castello is going to be holding you tight the entire time."

"I promise."  
Cas nods.  
"You can hold onto my hand as tight as you need to. Y'all are braver than I am, trust me."

"You better be careful."  
I mutter, staring at Castello.

"I will. Always."

Carefully, the tall man takes very slow steps in front of the creaking blue truck, but to be honest, he was doing very well. I think he was treating this situation to one that he would have had in Iraq and or Afghanistan.

"Oh, hey there."  
The man mumbles.  
"I think this man needs a dental checkup."

"Castello."  
Adelaide calls.

"What? You should see these chompers— lookin' like a fuckin' rabbit."

"Okay, I'm giving you— shit, are you Peyton?"

"I'm Leyton!"  
The boy squeaks.

"Right! Yeah, sorry."

As soon as Leyton had gone into Castello's arms, I could tell that he didn't want to let go. The Twins are only 14 years old, and they only recently turned that. I didn't blame them for being scared, especially because they aren't used to being outside of a community and shelter.

Peyton was next, and those boys couldn't keep their arms off of Castello. It was in their blood to stare up at the man like he was their entire world. I loved it.

Keiji, Leilani, Emilio, and Paris went next, and everything went fine. As soon as I went, it was supposed to be Harmony, but he got a little scared, so Carl decided to go instead.

He was doing fine, but a very small piece of the stone structure crumbled underneath his feet, and LITERALLY sent him over the edge. To the best of my ability, I grabbed onto his hand and nearly sent myself overboard— but Castello snatched the back of my collar and yanked me backwards; saving both Carl and I.

"Are you okay? Are you okay, sweetheart?"

"I'm fine."  
The boy nods, holding a tight grip on my shirt.  
"I-I'm fine."

Dresden, Harmony, Adelaide, and Prince were over.

Lux, Nicholaigh, Graham, Delancey, Avery, and Melbourne— absolutely no problem crossing.

To get good luck, you have to believe in good luck. I've had my fair share of fucking hard times, and I've had several times that brought good fortune— Regardless, I fucking made it and here I am.

Seeing Sloan, Milo, Brooklyn, Kreighton, and Sebastian get over quickly and easily was good for the entire group. If we were going to have another incident like Carl's, I'm pretty sure the whole world would just explode entirely.

After Castello saving me from falling, I expected to be able to get through this as quick as possible, especially because I was getting extremely fuckin' tired of standing around and watching these men and woman cross.

Alessandro tells Penelope to be careful, and that's when it all went down quite frankly. Before Penny could even respond, a puppet jumps from the shattered window shield and ambushes him.

Losing his balance off the bridge and falling down to the sea, a large splash sneaking out from the waves. For a couple of moments, we were all silent, we were under the impression that he was going to pop up above the surface and try to find his own way back up, but he never came.

It's unknown whether or not he died form impact, or maybe if he just drowned before he could swim back up above water.

It wasn't easy to explain to the twins what was happening. They were very confused by the whole situation and didn't understand that Penelope probably wasn't going to come back.

They both had Castello and Avery to lean on and hold for comfort. We had no choice but to continue moving. As much as I loved Penelope and I wanted him to still be alive, we had waited long enough, and it seemed like we were going to run into some rain.

"We're going to keep moving, we have to."  
I announce.  
"Come on, let's get off the streets as soon as possible."

If I wanted to mumble, cry, and grieve— I would have. Penelope was a great man, but I had still I needed to do in order to survive, and his death wasn't going to stop me from building my empire and living in my kingdom with Carl.

Sebastian was LIVID. There's been some tension between him and Milo, and now it was showing all over Seb's face. He felt that it should have been Milo instead of Penelope.

Sebastian is a man that has a very strong personality and I actually love his opinions very much, but this wasn't the time to be acting like a motherfucking headless chicken, so I told him that we could just talk about it at a later time.

The truth is that Milo is still alive, and Penelope is still dead. I do not care if someone thinks that this person should be gone, and that person should still be here.

I am here to make sure these people survive, and I want to guarantee a lovely life ahead of them, but if I have to deal with one more fucking imbecile, I will kill people myself.

My legacy will live on forever, especially because I promised my daddy that I would make him proud. My mission is to follow in his footsteps, he's an amazing man and I'm going to be just like them.

You need a strong leader who is charismatic, gorgeous, intelligent, and not afraid of killing some motherfuckers. I am not afraid to make these people know that I will not hesitate to put them in their place.

I am royalty. I am what matters.

It is not okay for someone to get in my way and try to take my dream away from me. I will have my kingdom, I will have my wife, and I will have my way. 

I've been working my ass off for a very long time, and my daddy knows that I am destined for greatness, and I do NOT want to let him down.

ϟ ϟ


	19. nineteen.

N I N E T E E N  
T H E O D O R E

"This is ridiculously hard."

"It's not supposed to be easy. You weren't born so that you could have a fuckin' breeze."

"Come on, Theodore. Don't be so mean."

"I'm not mean, I'm fuckin' honest."

"It's your tone."

"You can be a little scary sometimes."  
Sebastian speaks.  
"Nothing serious. Milo is just a pussy."

"I am not!"

"You are."  
I agree.  
"Shut the fuck up."

"Teddy, we need to talk. Can you follow me?"

"Sure. Sebbie, take this over."

"I got you, man."

"What's up?"

"We need to discuss our numbers."

"Okay."

"Penelope is gone, we lost him."  
Adelaide sighs.  
"That's not what was supposed to happen."

"I know."  
I nod.  
"I was trying to hide my disappointment."

"I think you know who needs to go."

"Oh, I'm well aware, princess. Trust me."

"Okay, so we're on the same page."  
She whispers.  
"I don't know if I can trust Jedidiah, though."

"I was under the impression that he was on our side, but I'm starting to have doubts. He doesn't speak, and I have little to no faith in him."

"So, that's two."

"One at a time. I'd love to go out and brawl, but to save our skin, I'm choosing one."

"We should run it through Castello."

"Beau, Avery, Dresden, Nicholaigh, and Leilani need to be on the same page as us— I'm trusting you with that. I can slide it by Emilio, Harmony, Lux, and Brooklyn with ease."

"Ángel and Sloan, though."

"Yeah, we'll get to them later."

"Okay. I've got this, Teddy."

I'm sure Jedidiah is a good man, but I've yet to figure out his true intentions. I will not tolerate a sneaky bastard under my skin.

I need people that I can trust, and I don't want to have him ruin my empire. I will not take these things easy or lightly. My family and legacy are going to continue to expand, and I won't be stopping for any stupid motherfucker that wants to try me.

Emilio, Brooklyn, Harmony, and Lux would never do anything to intentionally fuck things up for me, and that is why I still have them around. I'm stronger when the people I love stay next to me and know what I'm trying to accomplish.

"You look concerned."  
Harmony frowns.  
"What's wrong? Is everything okay?"

"Hi, love bug."  
I sigh.  
"I need to tell you something."

"I feel like this is going to be bad."

"Someone needs to go."

"What?"

"I don't think I can keep one of these losers around. I just don't think it's possible."

"Who are we talking about?"

"Adelaide and I are having doubts about Jedidiah."

"Really?"  
He squeaks.  
"I've been feeling the same way!"

"Wait, so I'm not the only one?"  
Lux furrows his eyebrows, popping open a beer.  
"That fucker is fishy as hell."

"I'm over it."  
I admit.  
"I'm not going to get my kingdom if we keep people like him around."

I'm a caring person. I know how to show affection and support, but kindness does not run through my blood for an idiot who can't decide who to root for.

"Have you talked to Delancey or Paris?"

"Not yet."  
I shake my head.  
"The twins don't even know."

"Someone has to go."  
Paris groans, storming into our tiny hut.  
"I'm surrounded by idiots."

"You're right on time."  
Lux sighs.  
"Who do you want to see go?"

"Reece doesn't show any significance in my eyes. I think we need to do something about him."

"I'm with you."  
Emilio says.  
"Although, I think Jedediah is the bigger issue."

"Reece is easily manipulated, I'll worry about him later."

I can handle Reece at any time. Even though I'm not too crazy about keeping him around, it's just another easy target that I can rid of another time.

Jedediah is more dangerous, mostly because his motives aren't clear, and that's not something that can slide by with me. He needs to go before my kingdom is built, I am running out of time.

Due to my circumstances, I can easily take control of the situation. I decided to take Milo and Jedediah on a little trip down in the woods.

My mission is to conquer the world and make my daddy proud. If I can no longer promise him that I can do this, I have nothing to live for.

There is no way in hell that I am going to let myself disappoint him. He's been training me since I was a little boy, and I know I'm capable of success and honour, and I will not keep fools around.

"Is everything okay?"  
Jed asks.

"Yeah, I just wanted to have a tiny chat with you two."

"What's on your mind?"  
Milo speaks.

"I'm sensing difficulties with the twins."

"Really? What happened? They've been on board with us for a while now, and I think they mean well."

"You both know that I'm an honest man, and I can read people."

"Of course."

I made the decision to let Avery and Alessandro tag along for the length of this trip. It's always better to keep your numbers stacked, because no one will be able to blindside you.

If you think that you can be sneaky and try to do something better than me, you are sadly mistaken because I do not play games.

"They're still young, and I understand that—but there's a level of loyalty that they have passed."

"Can you explain?"  
Jedidiah tilts his head to the side.  
"I don't really understand what's going on."

"You and Milo are very professional, and I appreciate that. Y'all know I appreciate you, right?"

"We know that."  
Milo adds.  
"You're very kind."

"I know I am."  
I nod.  
"Regardless, the twins are sexually and romantically involved with Castello— I don't want any of them to get hurt, but I don't know if it's okay to give them the go ahead."

"Okay."

"I will only give them permission to marry if you two can convince me it's a good idea."

"I can't believe you're asking the two of us."  
Milo smiles.  
"This is amazing!"

"So, whaddya think?"

"Well, I think that if the three of them are actually in love with each other, I'm in no place to neglect them of a ceremony."

"Yeah, I agree with that."  
Jed assures.  
"Let them do what they want, ya know?"

"See, this is why I asked you."  
I announce.  
"I find your opinions to be very important."

"Hey, look! A penny!"  
Milo exclaims, kneeling down to get a closer look.

I took this time as my chance to jerk my knife from my back pocket and plunge it into the back of his neck, using my boot to kick him down to the ground.

"Milo, Milo, Milo..."

The man looked very distraught as he rolled onto his back and continued to freak out, hands eagerly rubbing at his bloody throat.

"It was nice to have you around for a little while, but I don't think there's any reason to keep you alive."  
I shrug.  
"I'm bored with you. You don't serve any purpose in my eyes."

"Jesus Christ, Theodore!"  
Jed coughs.  
"What the fuck?"

"I have a job for you."  
I rasp, handing the black haired man an ax that I snagged from Avery.  
"Finish him off, will you?"

"Are you insane?"

"You're either with me or against me, Jedidiah!"

"Theodore!"

"Jedidiah!"

"Fucking do it."  
Avery encourages.  
"Don't be a pussy."

"You should have known this would happen. I need to know if you have your priorities straight. If not, you'll be next."

"Give me it."

"I wanna hear you say it."

"Give me the—"

"Get on your knees and beg for it."

Hesitantly, he kneels down next to Milo and looks up at me, a faint snarl on his face.

"Can I—"

"Beg nicely."

"King Theodore, will you please allow me to take the axe and put this man out of his misery? Please, sir?"

"Louder."

"Please!"  
He shouts.  
"Please hand it over! Please!"

"There ya go, sport."  
I comply, dropping the sharp weapon.  
"Now, do what I told you."

I happened to be very pleased with how long Milo was actually lasting down there. I figured that it would be a couple of minutes before he actually died, but as time went on, he continued to struggle— so obviously I had to tease him a little bit.

When Jedidiah finally proved his worth, I noticed that he was wiping a tear from his cheek, not daring to look me in the eyes when I called out his name.

"Theodore, we should be heading back soon."  
Alessandro suggests.  
"The group might be freaking out right about now."

"All right."  
I nod.  
"Jedidiah, I hope you understand that when you gave me your word, you gave me your power, control, and life. I can take away your spark whenever I feel it's necessary."

"Yeah."

"Do you understand?"

"Mhm."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, sir!"  
He growls.  
"I understand, sir!"

"Alessandro, do me a favor and dump his body somewhere. Meet the three of us back at camp as soon as you can— it'll be getting dark soon."

"You can count on me, boss."

Jedidiah followed closely behind Avery and I as we made our way back to the camp that we were currently residing at.

It wasn't anything fancy, but that's okay because I knew where I was going to direct us next, and it was actually going to have proper shelter.

"Wait—"  
Peyton gasps.

"Where's Milo?"  
Leyton asks.

"Hey, boys— gimme a few minutes to explain, okay?"

"Yes, sir."  
The twins say in sync.

"All right, my little bunnies."  
I sigh, kneeling down on the carpet that they were both sitting on.  
"Milo is no longer with us, you understand? I never thought that I would have to say this, but he didn't make it back alive, and I'm so sorry."

"Did you guys get hurt?"

"Yeah, did you guys get hurt? Are you okay?"

"Avery and I are fine. Alessandro is a little bruised up, and we lost him in the chaos, but I'm praying that he's able to find his way back to us. I cannot handle another loss tonight."

"Oh no."  
The two boys frown, sniffling as their eyes begin to water heavily.  
"That's terrible, mister."

"I need you two to be strong for me, all right? I love both of you to death and I don't want to see you guys cry."

Castello came by and grabbed the boys, taking them to one of the only rooms we had that included fully-finished walls. I'm sure he was going to calm them down and probably tuck them both into bed for the night.

"Teddy."

"Hey, pretty lady. I did it." 

"Hell yeah!"  
She smiles.  
"How'd it go with Jedidiah?"

"I know for a fact that he understands the terms and conditions of the new world. He won't be a problem, I'm sure he'll be distant for a couple of days."

"Kreighton wants to know who's next, and he wants in."

"Reece and Jedidiah."  
I whisper.  
"I want Leilani, Sebastian, Kreighton, and Dresden to tag along, so make sure they're prepared to strike at any given time."

"Always."  
She assures.  
"We're always prepared."

Carl had been feeling a little faint earlier, so Melbourne and Sloan were making sure that he was doing okay. Luckily, he began to feel better and I was able to take one of the remaining rooms and lock the door behind me.

"There's that smile that I've been missin', love bug."

"I missed you."

"Hey, I missed you more. I always miss you more."

"Are you sure it's okay that we take one of the rooms?"  
He asks.

"It's all right. Castello and the twins have one, Adelaide, Leilani, and Kreighton have one, and then I put Dresden, Harmony, Avery, Nicholaigh, and Emilio in the last one."

"I can't wait until we reach Richmond."

"I'm going to give you that life you deserve— the life I promised you."

"I know you will, Teddy."  
He whispers.  
"You don't ever break your promises."

ϟ ϟ


	20. twenty.

T W E N T Y  
T H E O D O R E

"What do you think?"

"I love it. I really do."

"I know you were really hoping to bring Hilltop with us, but you did everything you could."

"I could have done more. Gregory should have been able to lead his people here with us. I'm sorry if I've disappointed you."

"What? No."  
He shakes his head.  
"Never. I'm so proud!"

"Do you really mean that?"

"Of course, Teddy."

"I've always wanted my own kingdom, ever since I was little. My daddy used to buy me crowns to wear on my head for school and whenever we'd go out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I miss my old man, a lot. I'm the man I am today because of him, and I love him to death."

"I've never heard anything about your family. I always thought you didn't like to talk about it."

"I didn't think you'd be very interested, I know that you don't have a very good relationship with your dad."

"I'm interested. I'd love to hear about those things."

"Well, I was born in South Africa in a town named Pretoria, I don't know if you've ever heard of it."

"I haven't, but I'm sure it's beautiful."

"My daddy and I lost my momma to cancer a few years back— 10 to be exact."

"You were only 15 when you lost your mom? I'm so sorry."

I continued to tell Carl more about my childhood and what my life was like before and after the virus spread. Even though we were madly in love, I had never really taken the time to tell him things about my past.

I suppose I didn't see a point in it. It isn't the future, so in my mind, it was insignificant— but I was beginning to realize that it's important to talk about these things.

The two of us were walking around Richmond, not paying much attention to our surroundings, mostly due to that fact that it wasn't important. I wanted to focus on the love of my life, not these abandoned buildings.

It was a fantastic find, I can admit it. I don't think we could have been any luckier, because this was absolutely incredible.

Starting my empire and kingdom always ran adrenaline through my veins, but being able to walk around inside the perimeter of the foundation was turning a good day into a great day.

"Theodore, can we talk?"

"I'm kinda busy, can it wait?"

"Not really."

"Bastian, I haven't been able to spend time with Carl, and I feel bad."

"Carl should come too, he's important."

"No, it's okay."  
Carl shakes his head.  
"If you don't want me to come, I don't want to intrude."

"Carl—"  
Sebastian smiles.  
"Please come, you shouldn't be left out of this."

Sebastian led us down the street and then into a two story building a few houses down. I was very interested to see what he'd have to say to us since it was so urgent.

I lean up against the wall, cross my arms over my chest, and wait for him to open his mouth.

"What do you think?"

"What?"

"What do you think of this being our room of rituals?"

"Room of rituals?"  
Carl tilts his head to the side.

Sebastian catches himself, eyes widening when he realizes what just came out of his mouth.  
"As you know, Theodore is very serious about his spirituality and beliefs, and I wanted to make sure to pick somewhere for everyone to have their rituals." 

"Oh, I understand."  
The boy nods, turning to me.  
"I like it, what do you think?"

"It's kinda gorgeous."

"Exactly."

Richmond was a huge community. It is definitely one of the biggest I've ever encountered, and now I'm able to make it mine.

There is an incredible amount of housing units and buildings, and it was all surrounded by tall walls to keep the trouble and danger from getting inside.

Rick Grimes is a nouveau riche who has spent all of his time using his horrendous survival skills and idiotic behavior to buy his way into a natural society. I don't think I will ever be able to count how many people he's killed— directly and indirectly.

There are so many reasons as to why I will be able to lead all of these people better than he has even been able to do. I'd like to know who elected him in the first place, because he's a gigantic pussy.

It's odd that he somehow was able to produce Carl.

Carl is ostentatious, and I don't even think he realizes it. Whenever he walks into a room, people get whiplash because of his purity and beauty. Everyone wants to be as perfect as Carl, and I am certain he doesn't feel like he's anything special.

I know that he is. I know damn well that he's the epitome of perfection and grace. You don't have the opportunity to come across someone so genuine and intelligent.

A leader needs to be suave, charismatic, and strong. Rick Grimes is nothing but a punk bitch, and I can't believe he's been able to get his head on his shoulders, because I would have decapitated him immediately if it wasn't for Carl.

Kreighton and Sloan came to get me so that they could show me some of the housing units that were available.

Obviously, since Richmond has been abandoned for god knows how long, all housing units were vacant— but they went on a little journey to find the best rooms possible.

If I'm going to be a king to my empire, I'm going to need a nice kingdom to reside in. Of course, I took Carl with me because he's just as important as I am. He was just excited to have another room to be able to sleep in, and I saw his eyes light up as soon as we walked in.

"This is the nicest one we could find."  
Kreighton says.  
"What do you think?"

"I like it. It's huge."

"Carl, what do you think? Do you like it?"

"This is insane."  
The boy gasps.  
"It's so pretty!"

"I think they were working on some construction before this place was abandoned, so it'll be the perfect building to continue fixing."  
Sloan explains.  
"Keiji, Prince, and Graham can start working on repairs so that we can get your kingdom up and running."

"It's big enough, Teddy."  
Carl nods.  
"For your kingdom, the one you've always wanted."

"If you know you can handle being my queen, I think it's worth beginning."

"I can handle it."

"Hell yeah."  
I nod.  
"Get the boys to start working on it tomorrow— I want this place up and running as soon as possible."

"Don't worry, boss."  
Kreighton smiles.  
"We've got this."

When the two men left, Carl and I stayed inside to take another tour around the place. It was absolutely incredible, and I couldn't wait to hang a giant portrait of him on the wall.

Peyton, Leyton, Harmony, and Castello were all in the house with us, but we didn't notice until they came down the stairs.

"Oh, hi."

"Hi, Mr. Theo!"  
The twins say in sync, smiling and waving.  
"Hi, Carl!"

"Hello."  
Carl grins.

"Whaddya think, Theodore?"  
Castello asks.

"I like it, I really do."

"I think it's perfect for you two."  
Harmony nods.  
"It's definitely fit for royalty."

"It's big enough for all of us, too."

"All of us?"  
Castello furrows his eyebrows.

"You, the twins, Harmony, Beau, Leilani, Dresden, Nicholaigh, Lux, Avery, Emilio, and Adelaide."

"Come on, you don't have to do that. We'll be okay out there."

"What kingdom only houses two people?"

"He makes a good point, Castello."  
Carl joins in.  
"It's gigantic, and you're all family."

"Can we have bunk beds, sir?"

"Yeah! Can we have bunk beds, mister?"

Carl and I then had to decide which room we wanted to give everyone. Since the housing unit was so big, and it was going to be built even bigger, there was space for everyone to have their own room.

Since Castello is practically a daddy to the orphan twins, I knew it would be best if we gave them one of the biggest suites inside.

I know they requested bunk beds, but I think they were under the impression that everyone was going to have to share a room.

Silly boys, there's room for everyone.

The three of them were put in that specific room with a bigger bed for all of them to fit in. I knew it would be good for them to be able to cuddle up and sleep together. It's important for the twins to be with their caretaker for as long as can be.

Everyone else was assigned rooms, and for the most part, they were all checking them out and seeing what they'd want to do with them.

My room was already furnished, and it looked incredible. I had a throne in the throne room, and I had another throne in my bedroom. This is definitely fit for a king like myself.

"Be honest, are you actually happy with this?"

"Of course, I am."

Taking off my boots and socks, I climb into the bed to lay down beside the love of my life.

"Seriously?"

"It's perfect."

"I don't want you to ever feel like I'm not paying attention to you, I'm so sorry for these past couple of days, I haven't been the best boyfriend by any means."

"You're taking on too much at one time."  
He whispers.  
"You have the weight of the world on your shoulders along with stress, anxiety, leadership, survival— and everything else."

"That's not an excuse. You always need to come first."

"I do, you make sure I do, you haven't done anything wrong."

"You definitely do come first..."  
I husk, slowly running my fingertips down his stomach.

"Oh my god!"  
He giggles.

"I had to. I had to say it."

Carl is a very special person to me. I believe that everyone in the entire world should have to bow down to him, because he's literally perfection.

I don't ever want him to wake up one day and not feel loved or wanted, because my love for him is so strong that I don't ever see it being able to break.

He trusts me, and I trust him. He knows that I'm trying to make the world a better place, and I don't think I would have been able to get this far if it wasn't for him.

When you fall in love, it can be something really scary— but I wasn't scared, I was immediately pulled into him with bravery and honor. Those eyes are killer.

If you take a look at him, I promise you that you will never be able to stop staring. He's beautiful and heavenly, he was delicately created by the gods, and they did a damn good job at it.

It felt a little unreal as I pulled him into my arms. I was finally starting my empire, and I couldn't wait to turn Richmond into a luxurious safe haven for everyone.

I don't see how anyone could be as idiot as Rick Grimes. It isn't difficult to lead a group of people. He never got the hang of it, and I don't think I'll ever understand how he was able to fuck up as badly as he did.

I will never have sympathy for Rick Grimes. He deserves what he has coming to him. I am the first one to stand up to him and take matters into my own hands because he doesn't ever know what the fuck he's doing.

If I'm lucky, I'll be able to be the one that kills him. I would slit his throat or maybe I'd slowly stab him in the heart over and over again.

I know that there are others who would love to do it, but I think I'll actually be the one to take control and finally kill Rick Grimes.

ϟ ϟ


	21. twenty-one.

T W E N T Y — O N E   
T H E O D O R E

"I tried to be kind with you, Rick Grimes. I really did."

"W-Who are you?"

"I'm everything you're not. I'm charismatic, I'm intelligent, I'm honest, I'm loyal. I'm a leader, and that's something you will always fail at."

"Where did you come from? Who do you know? I knew something was wrong the moment you stepped foot in front of me!"

"I come from a place of hard-working motherfuckers. I've been working my ass off since I was a little boy." 

He squints his eyes at me.

"I tried to be this source of positivity and generosity, but I never fucking got anywhere. If you want to survive and conquer in this day in age, you have to have a backbone and you need to keep your eyes on the fucking prize."

"Get away from me."

"My daddy said that I was destined for success and courageousness, and I refuse to let him down— I am not going to pussy out of everything I worked so fucking hard for. You are not going to stand in the way of my empire."

"You should've never come here. You don't belong to this group, you aren't a good person."

"You kill people for no reason!"  
I yell.  
"You fucking kill them, Rick Grimes!"

"Bullshit."

"If you don't kill with a purpose, you're the villain. I'm ostentatious, and you will never be on the same level as me. You are vile, you are untenable, and you are someone that I will not associate with."

"I'm not a doll. You can't pick me up and do whatever you please."

"You're a Svengali who should've been disposed of a long time ago. You don't think that makes a person look like a nobody,— a monster— a sycophant?"

"You played me like a violin, I should've trusted my gut."

Rick Grimes, you are not a smart man. You should have known better than to do everything that would make your whole group turn against you. No self-respecting man would be as foolish as you.

I don't believe in second chances, I don't think anyone should. You are old enough to know better, and I will not drop to my knees and give you extra chances to try and fix what you shouldn't have ever done in the first place.

When I was a little boy, my daddy always looked at me like I was a shining star, and it took me a few months to realize that I really was. That man is one of the only people I've ever been able to trust, and he's the only reason I'm the way I am today.

I do not think these idiots realize that at the end of the day, it's every man for himself. You can criticize and play a hate and act like you don't care, but you'll soon find it impossible to hide from the fact that you're going to be outplayed by yours truly.

I liked watching Rick Grimes stare at me the way he was. I think he is under the impression that I am afraid of him, but I'm the complete opposite.

If you want someone to fear you, do not take lessons from Rick Grimes. Innocence doesn't get you anywhere, integrity does. I'm a realistic thinker, and I'm not going to sugarcoat the outcomes of life on earth. If I don't think you're fit to be alive, you can bet your ass that you're worthless.

"I don't know what I'm going to do with you, Rick Grimes."

"You're going to let me go."

"No, no."  
I chuckle, shaking my head.  
"No, I'm not."

I was contemplating killing him right then and there, but I began to realize that he hadn't been suffering for very long, and I would hate to cut that time short.

Keeping him locked up in the cellar will suffice for a little while until I figure out how I would like to take him out. I have so many options, and I feel like they're all so incredible.

The amount of ways you can kill someone can be overwhelming, but with a few days of figuring it out, I would easily come to a decision eventually— and I cannot wait for the way that I fucking kill this man.

"You look so sad." 

He stays silent.

"I like when you look sad, buddy."

"You'll never get away with this. Carl is going to start wondering where I am, and you know for a fact that he's going to come to you for answers."

"Sweetheart, Carl thinks you're gone."  
I confess.  
"Did you seriously think I was going to tell the love of my life that you're still alive and kickin' it? You are a fucking dumbass."

For him to believe that Carl wouldn't have already been given a story about the disappearance of Rick Grimes is crazy. I've always been a man who thinks four steps ahead, he may think he has an advantage, but I already know his motives and moves before he even tries them.

After giving him a pat on the head, I dump him bowl of water out and head towards the stairs. Typically, I would have allowed him to quench that aching thirst, but I don't like how cocky he is, so I decided punishment was overdue.

It was raining outside, but I didn't really care about getting wet. I have enough clothes to change into if I really felt the need to.

"Hi, Mr. Theo!"  
The twins wave, speaking in sync like always.

Baby and Boo, the two cuties. It's impossible to have a bad day when I'm able to see the twins every single day. They somehow manage to suck up all the bad energy and replace it with positivity and smiles and giggles.

"Hey there."  
I rasp.  
"What are you two doing out here?"

"Daddy gave us rain boots."  
Peyton answers.

"He said that we could play out here for a little bit."  
Leyton explains.

"Boys, let's bring it in!"  
Cas calls, jogging over.  
"I'm not going to let you get sick."

"Yes, sir."  
They nod, each twin grabbing ahold of Castello's hands and allowing the man to lead them back into the kingdom.

I was surprised to see Adelaide walking around. Apparently it's fun to walk around and be outside when it's raining which is news to me.

Good grief, go inside.

"Haven't seen you very much."

"I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"Care to share?"

"Milo, Penelope, and Reece are gone. Are you done creating your empire? Are we full?"

I sigh.  
"I've been dreading this question."

"It's important that we figure this out before Jedidiah's time comes."

"We have a strong 19, y'know? I feel like it's worth gathering some more people."

"I'm so glad you said that. Graham, Keiji, and and Alessandro are ready for their initiation."

"Okay, those three need their initiation, and Harmony still needs his ceremony."

"Avery and Melbourne have been getting ready for Harmony. We should have everything up and organized by next week."

"Please tell me Sebastian finished his crown. We can't have the ceremony if the crown isn't ready to be placed upon Harmony's head."

"Done, done, and done. We're good to go."

I put Sebastian in charge of working on everyone's crowns. Although only a few people would be receiving them, that doesn't mean that the others aren't important. They're just— not as... you know.

Peyton, Leyton, Dresden, Castello, Leilani, Adelaide, Avery, Nicholaigh, Harmony, Emilio, and Sebastian all need their crowns. They're incredibly important, and they need to have something that shows that they live in the kingdom.

Carl was out of bed, standing in the mirror and doing simple poses to check out what he was wearing.

It wasn't much, just lacy undergarments, but I loved the way they hugged every curve and dip. It made my mouth water and I was pretty certain that my eyes were widening in acceptance and pride.

"Well, hello."

"Hi, Teddy."

"I'm a lucky fella, baby. I'm a lucky fella."

He blushes, fiddling around with the tiara on his head.

I couldn't help myself. There was no way in hell that I was going to pass up this opportunity. Man, I had my lips on his pussy in no time, one leg propped over my shoulder so that he would be forced to watch himself in the mirror.

I always tell him how beautiful he looks, and he never believes me. He doesn't think he's gorgeous or perfect, even though I tell him all the time. This would guarantee that he'd be able to see how pretty he is.

Most people treat their lovers like best friends, but I make sure to treat Carl like a goddess. There's nothing wrong doing it the other way, but you can bet your ass that I'll always treat my baby like perfection.

It's my responsibility to ensure that he stays happy, healthy, fed, and utterly in love. It's hard not to love a guy like me, I'm pretty fucking dope— but I'm better when I'm with him.

I've never been one to count on another person to make me strong and brave and brilliant and extraordinary, but I can't help it now. You should always be able to be independent, which I am, but I don't see the harm in becoming an even better person when I'm around Carl.

Due to Rick Grimes being out of the picture for now, I didn't have to worry about catching his tears and making sure that he stays distracted.

I'm his daddy. I'm his god. I'm his king.

There's no room for Rick Grimes to be here. I've taken over his things, just like I do wherever I go. I'm going to make the world my own, and I'm not afraid of little pussies like Rick Grimes.

Sure, it's disappointing that Carl won't have any blood with him, but I'm more of a father than that prick will ever be. Whether Carl needs to be spanked, punished, disciplined, taught, or anything— I'm the one to do it, I have all the power and I am the only person who is allowed to do so.

I don't pick on the weak. I make sure they know that they're worthless and don't stand a chance against me— there's a difference. I'm never going to let someone control the way I do things, and it's just ten times more fun when it's some stupid imbecile that thinks they can do whatever they put their mind to.

You're a piece of shit and you serve no purpose in life other than to drop to your knees and suck my cock.

If I want you to cook me something, you're going to cook me something.

If I want you to massage Carl's back, you're going to massage Carl's back.

If I want you to rub my feet as I drink a beer, you're going to rub my feet as I drink a beer.

It's simple. If you don't give anyone a choice, they won't be able to say no to you. If I want something done, it's guaranteed to happen because they'll be too naive to realize that they will never be anything other than chewed gum on the concrete.

I will fuck you into oblivion until you figure out that you aren't worth anything and that you're only purpose is to serve me and do whatever I say. You're my peasant. You're my bitch.

Being in control at all times is fucking incredible. I don't know how you can not crave the power and excellence. Why would you not want to build your empire and take over the fucking world? It's easy, it's fun, and it's perfect for a fellow like me.

I don't care if you're not willing to do what I say at first, because I promise you that eventually you will become my bitch. It's not your choice, it's mine. Isn't that fun? 

"If you love me, princess— you won't ever be able to leave me."

ϟ ϟ


	22. twenty-two.

T W E N T Y — T W O  
T H E O D O R E

"You're the love of my life, Caroline Rose."

"I feel like the universe wanted us to be together."

"1 universe, 9 planets, 204 countries, 809 islands, 7 seas— and I had the privilege of meeting you." 

"Teddy?"

"Baby?"

"Thank you."

"What for?"

"Before you came around, I never felt like I was meant to have a happy ending. I always saw people at the prison who had their whole lives figured out, a-and they were so happy! I didn't think I'd ever get my own chance."

"You're a beautiful girl, Caroline Rose. I don't think you understand the amount of perfection that you're made of. I love you."

"I don't know what I would do without you; if I didn't have anyone to take care of me when I really need it."

"I will always take care of you, it's in my blood. I was put on this world for two reason— to rule and to protect the ones I love."

I've always been a man of my word. I don't break promises, I don't lie, and I don't give second chances.

I'm not here to pussy around and fuck up, I'm here to make a statement and turn the world into my bitch. I get to swing around with the love of my life, and I'm not backing down any time soon. 

I tighten my grip around her smaller frame, fingertips ghosting over the curve of her breast. I wasn't ready to let her leave the bed, so I was going to hold her until I absolutely had to leave.

Of course, there were things that needed to be done, and they were incredibly important— but I wasn't going to cut my time with my babygirl to do them.

Leyton, Peyton, and Harmony all needed to have their ceremony, but I was still naked underneath the silky covers of my own bed and didn't necessarily feel like immediately going out to christen my little bunnies.

Castello, Avery, Dresden, Lux, Melbourne, Myself, and Caroline Rose were the ones who would be participating during the ceremony, and I couldn't wait to share those epic moments with the love of my life. She's going to love it.

Even if you never thought it was possible, seeing Caroline Rose will make you figure out that you cannot avoid falling head over heels for someone, no matter how hard you try.

Love isn't a bad thing, it just gets a bad reputation because it's tedious and delicate. Children find themselves scarred for life because of the nasty divorce their parents went through, and when they grow up, they'll try to stay away from love all together.

It's foolish.

I was still naked and barefoot under the covers, and so was Caroline Rose. To be completely honest, I really didn't feel like taking the first step to get out of bed. I had a schedule that I needed to follow strictly, but she kept giving me those innocent, doe-like eyes and I couldn't stop myself from kissing her over and over again.

Adrenaline was continuously running through my veins like venom, and I was still high from the hours prior of me fucking my princess until tears were falling out of her eyes. I had my crown on my head, and even though I would have anyways, I felt like a King, and I couldn't get enough of it.

"You make me the happiest man in the world."

Caroline Rose is nowhere near my first rodeo, but she's the first person in my life that I've actually come to realize is the love of my life. She's literally my one true love, and I'm only here because of her.

She may not think that she's very important or beautiful or sexy or worth anything, but my god, she's fuckin' priceless to me.

I'm going to marry her, and she's going to say yes. It's not something that she is going to be able to deny, we're made for marriage, and I'm not about to let the love of my life slip right through my fingers.

There was one another thing that was on my mind, though, and I couldn't shake it no matter how hard I tried. I needed to figure out how I wanted to murder Rick Grimes. I have so many options, but I can't decide between my favorites.

He deserves to die, but it can't be anything quick. I'm not going to let myself ruin the moment, and lose him immediately.

I will have to figure something out that is going to be tedious, execrable, and salutary. In another universe, I would probably spare his life; as long as he wasn't useless, worthless, and imbecilic.

We're in the present now, and he is all of those things, so keeping him alive won't do me any good. I need to kill him off before my big crowning ceremony where I'll be on top of the world and I'll have the chance to see all of my people kneeling before me.

"I got some goodies for the twins."

"Really? That's so nice of you."

"They're going to be getting their crowns as well, it'll be a good day."

"I don't know what these people would do without you, Teddy. I'm serious."

"I don't want you all to think I've changed your lives."

"Yes, you do."  
She whispers.  
"You need to know that you've changed our lives, because you have. You took the responsibility, and you are doing an incredible job, and I love you so much. You're too humble, Teddy. You need to realize that you're the reason we're all still alive."

"You're so gorgeous."

She blushes, shaking her head.

"You are. I'm dead serious. You're fuckin' gorgeous."

"You bring out the beauty in people, I really believe that."

"No, you bring the beauty out."  
I rasp.  
"You're the reason we're all still balanced. If it wasn't for you, I'd be hauling a group of messy ass people."

I loved hearing her giggle.

I have every right to be confident in my legacy. I have been working my ass off for almost 25 years, and I'm not going to stop anytime soon.

Caroline Rose is a peacekeeper. She makes sure that everyone is relaxed and she takes away all the tension that might be thickening up the atmosphere.

I'm a good man, I really am, but I wouldn't be this way if it weren't for my daddy and for Caroline Rose. These two have shaped me into the person I am, and all I have is the upmost respect for both of them.

This kingdom is my everything, but it wouldn't be anything without my beautiful Queen. I can be independent, but I can be even better when I have a gorgeous babygirl next to me. I'm not someone who needs to lean on someone to support themselves, but I will admit that a King will always be better off if there's a Queen right beside him.

The ceremony would have to wait for a little while, because her breasts were full of milk, and I was going to take my time sucking each of them. I'm blessed to have the opportunity to go through something so beautiful and natural with her before the day we decide to have children and allow her to breastfeed.

I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else from my last. This is purely restricted for Caroline Rose. I wouldn't know what to do with myself if she wasn't in my life right now.

The way I'm able to hold her is gently and delicately. She's so much smaller than I am, and she's so fragile. I always feel like I'm going to break her like a porcelain doll.

Her skin is always so soft, and her hair often smells like strawberries or coconut. Every curve of her body drives me insane, and I love that I'm the only one who is allowed to touch her, to feel her, and to make her reach ecstasy with every movement.

I frequently think of myself as the beast, and I look at Caroline Rose like Belle. They're both so intelligent, they love to read, and they don't care about what's on the outside, they are more comfortable and happy with falling in love with someone because of their personalities, and not their appearance— even though I'm so fucking sexy.

Love can be strange, but there's never anything else quite like it. It's a new experience every single second, and if you don't find out more about why you love then every day, you aren't serious about falling in love.

I never stop learning about Caroline Rose, and she never stops learning about me. I'm not interested in playing piggyback, I'm focused on taking things seriously and making her see the fact that I'm brutally in love with her and I'm never going to stop.

There's never a time where I don't get what I want, and I'm so blessed that I was able to keep my eyes on her and eventually knock her off her feet. She's gorgeous, she's an angel, she's everything I've ever hoped for.

I'm not afraid to express how I feel. I am a highly intelligent, exquisite, and loyal 25 year old man, and I will never stop telling the world how I feel about Caroline Rose. She's my babygirl, she's my queen, she's the love of my life— and I'm so elated to spend every living moment with her.

As soon as Leyton, Peyton, and Harmony get their crowns— the kingdom will finally be finished. The men have been working extremely hard on completely the exterior of the build, and I'm incredibly happy with how it's turned out so far.

I will be the one everyone knows. I will be the one who is taking total control over the empire.

Daddy taught me. Daddy told me I could do this.

Not a day goes by where I second-guess whether or not he's proud of me, but I know that he is. Our bond has always been tight, and he's one of the only people on this earth that I genuinely love, respect, and care for.

Caroline Rose, The Twins, Harmony, Castello, Dresden, Avery, Nicholaigh, Adelaide, Leilani, Melbourne, and Emilio are forever locked inside my heart. I'm never going to see a day where I'm not smiling like a goof when I think of everything they've done for me.

It's not easy finding people that will take your dreams seriously, and I'm so glad that I was able to snag a couple of golden ones. These people are the reason I'm doing what I'm doing.

I'm ready to continue giving them the life they deserve, and I don't want them to ever think that they aren't one of my priorities— because I will drop everything I'm doing for them, and I'm not scared to admit that.

I can see my future with Caroline Rose being absolutely stunning, just like her. I see butterflies, flowers, and happy little boys that wanna be just like their daddy when they grow up.

If you don't take a few moments to evaluate your options and steer your life into the direction that you want it to go, you will always be nothing and you will never be anything over than scum under someone's boot.

It may seem like my life with Caroline Rose is going steady, but it's actually just beginning. As soon as my empire is finished, she's really going to see how much I'm able to do for her, and I can't wait to see that expression on her face on the day that she becomes my stunning wife.

CAROLINE ROSE,  
You will never realize how much you mean to me. If I could put it into words and make you understand, I would, but I'm at a loss for words.

I don't think the heavens were prepared when they delicately sculpted you and brought you down from the gods. A human being should not be as perfect as you are, and I can't believe that I'm the lucky man that has the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with you.

I've been a foolish man to think that I would never have the chance to fall in love, but you have since proven me wrong— and I'm so glad you have.

My kingdom and empire were built to suit a king like me, and to fulfill that dream of mine from when I was a young boy, but I am able to share them with you, and I am happy elated to change your life forever.

If I could give you one thing in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me.

I LOVE YOU FOREVER AND EVER.  
YOURS TRULY,   
THEODORE CHANCE AVERESCU

ϟ ϟ


	23. twenty-three.

T W E N T Y — T H R E E  
T H E O D O R E

NEVER TRUST A NARCISSIST.

"I can touch your soul. You need to realize that there is a difference between having your heart break and having your soul shatter."

BUT THEY LOVE ME.

"What are you going to do with me?"  
He asks.  
"Are you gonna throw me away like you did to the others? Milo? Reece?"

"Milo would have made it, but I needed to know where Jedidiah's loyalty stood."

"That was an innocent man. You killed him for no reason."

"I needed to know where Jedidiah's loyalty stood!"

He shakes his head.  
"What am I? Leftovers?"

"Rick Grimes, it can be terrifying to love someone who was forbidden to you— terrifying to feel something you could never speak of, something that was horrible to almost everyone you knew, something that could destroy your entire life and everything you've worked so hard for."

"You don't deserve everything you're getting. You're just like your father."

"I've been your addiction for the longest time and mow that you've been given a taste of me, you're not wanting to stop even if you're getting eaten alive with guilt for doing it."

"You're vicious."  
He scoffs.  
"You are truly vile. Like father, like son."

"Baby, I'm finishing what you started."

"What?"

"You started sticking your nose where it didn't belong. My daddy was going to be very gracious and friendly, but you struck a nerve in him that I hadn't seen in a while. We were going to be very nice, and you had to go and ruin everything."

"He asks for too much in return."

"A small portion of your rations each week? That's too much? You do realize that your irrationality fills me with pity, yeah?"

"If you want to help someone, you don't expect things in return, that's not how the world works."

"Yes, it does. Ricky, to play nice you have to be willing to take and give. You've built yourself up and delusion is making you think that a puffed chest translates into bravery. News flash, it doesn't."

"You don't give, you just take."

"If you've never met the devil in the road of life, its because you're both heading in the same direction."

"You're the spitting image of him."  
He whispers.  
"What? Do you get off on that?"

"Oh, no. If it looks like I give a damn, please tell me. I don't want to give off the wrong impression."

"I don't want you anywhere near my family. You may think that these bars will keep me away, but I promise you that they won't. I will destroy you. You're going to wish you killed me when you had the chance."

"There's a reason I haven't killed you."

"You're only saying that because you're scared."

"I am desire, and you are my prisoner, chained up by my kisses. Submissive to my touch."

He squints his eyes in irritation.

"I'm too dangerous for you, Ricky. That's why I'm going to marry you."

"What?"

"Your throat gets a lump stuck in it, your hands shake, your fingers twitch, your legs become wobbly like jello, and your palms get sweaty. Your body gets nervous and your mind begins to wander anxiously."

"I don't—"

"The only way you'll ever become something is if I take total control over your life, and fuck you so hard into a mattress each night and always leave you feeling neglected."  
I husk.  
"You're going to be my bitch, and I can't wait."

Placing my hands on each of his cheeks, I lean forward and press my lips against his, waiting a few moments before sticking my tongue out and poking it through the gap between his pouty lips.

I'm proud of my sexuality, I've never had a problem with it. The human body is absolutely beautiful, and sometimes it comes as an addiction.

I already had Ricky wrapped around my finger, but I was still hungry for more. Ultimately, I knew that I had more leverage over him, and I was able to use that to my advantage.

Although I have a large amount, he still has a a fairly good portion left of power and control, and there's no way I'm going to be able to allow him to keep that. I don't want him to be my prisoner behind bars, I need him to be my complete and utter bitch.

I will not get any further with my legacy if I don't start reproducing soon. Kreighton, Peyton, Leyton, Harmony, Caroline Rose, and Ricky are all responsible for carrying children.

To make my daddy prouder than he already is, there are a few more steps that I can take to reach the level I'm trying to achieve with him. Avery will be able to marry us, and I'm not going to wait around any longer.

I will need to seal our relationship with marriage and almost immediately have him christened and full of my cum. I am not going to let anyone ruin this for me, it's time for my strict rules to officially apply to the kingdom, and it will only make us more powerful.

I'm a loving man, I truly am. I believe that love is one of the most powerful things on this planet, and I'm not planning on letting it die out any time soon.

Ricky was intrigued by the situation, I could tell. I know when things are meant to be, and if I were to pass this up, I'd be a silly man. This is one of the only things that would ruin my legacy if I didn't do something with it.

He didn't want to kiss me back at first, but he relaxed after a few moments and actually began to work with my rhythm. I was getting sick of him going against the synchronization I had going.

"I find you fucking fascinating."

I had already gone through this in my head several times to make sure I had the timing correct. I put a lot of knowledge, time, and thought into every move I make, and this one was clearly paying off.

There's a reason I had him locked up in the bunker here, there's actually several reasons, but one of the most important was solely due to the fact that he wouldn't be able to take care of himself during his lactation cycle.

My hands pulled each button off very tediously, shoving the fabric down his shoulders, revealing his perky breasts, nipples red and rosy.

I place a kiss between his breasts, hesitantly bringing both of my hands up to rub my fingertips over his fairly hairy chest.

He didn't want to, but he moaned out as soon as he felt my thick fingers rub against his soaking folds. I had no choice but to lift one of his legs over my shoulder and take in the beauty of his pussy.

His cheeks were burning up, a dark pink flushed the skin. He shuddered with every teasingly slow kiss on his inner thighs, tediously sticking my tongue out and licking up his wet slit.

I couldn't figure out what I wanted to focus on. His breasts were sensitive and full of milk for me, begging to be sucked on slowly. However, his hairy pussy was calling my name, and that clit was dark red just like Caroline Rose's.

Gently, I squeeze his breasts, my thumbs circling around those perked rosy buds as my tongue continued to work hard between his legs. If he thought he was going to be able to get away from this, he was sadly mistaken, because I saw that beautiful smile on his lips before his jaw drops.

The heavy scruff along my jawline and chin was continuously tickling his soft skin, and that only added to the pleasure of this situation. My tongue swirls around his clit, immediately getting splashed in the face by the shot of essence squirting towards me.

I took this opportunity to make him feel more exposed than he already did, and settled on taking his sensitive nub between my thumb and index finger, twisting and pinching gently as I begin sucking on his throbbing red clit.

Those dark curls were sticking to his forehead due to the thin layer of sweat heating up on his body. Everything sounded wet in between his legs as I worked him continuously. He tasted sweet like honey, and I was quickly becoming obsessed. 

Deciding to take a break, I stand up straight and press my mouth against his, sticking my tongue past his lips and sharing the addicting taste of his pussy with himself. He needs to know how delicious he tastes, and this was the perfect opportunity.

I quickly went back to his breasts, sucking eagerly to give myself the chance to drink the milk that was desperately waiting to come out. He'd been handcuffed for a good portion of his time down in the bunker, and this was the first time he'd be able to fully release.

The longer this went on, the quicker I was becoming more excited to do more with him. I pushed him down onto the mattress he had in his cell, and immediately spread his legs apart.

He was shaking, whimpering, moaning, and crying out as soon as I dug three of my fingers into his wet core and began pumping them in and out at an alarming speed.

Much like I loved to do with his daughter, I gently kiss the tips of his toes and watch his face light up more.

It was very clear that he was close again, and just as soon as the thought left my mind, he began squirting again, and that's also when cum began to spray out of the swollen tip of his cock. Having him down here for a long time ended up working out well, because the amount of cum that had been waiting inside him was insane. It just kept pouring out and I loved when it began splashing onto his face.

He looked so vulnerable, and I know that he felt the same way. There's something so satisfying about having him be covered in his own cum, it made me realize the amount of fortune I had been blessed with. There had never been a day when I wasn't getting what I wanted, and this was long awaited.

Daddy will be pleased to know that I literally fucked Ricky's life upside down. It's no secret that he wanted to have Ricky on his knees, the sexual tension between them was the most exciting, and now I'm able to live my old man's dream.

I'll be happy to share as soon as my kingdom is finished. I'm gonna get daddy down here and he can fuck Ricky as many times as he wants— any time he wants. Someone will have to be done here to do something with him since I'll be occupied with the stunning Caroline Rose, my beautiful sons, my kingdom, and the ones I love.

Never in a million years did I think I'd be earning my kingdom this quickly. It has only been a few months since I met Caroline Rose and the others, but I'm so pleased with the results.

As soon as I can get the marriage ceremony set up, Caroline Rose will officially be an Averescu, and it's going to look so radiant at the end of her name. She deserves royalty, appreciation, love, attention, and everything in between.

She's the love of my life, and I know she's always going to be one of the happiest people on this earth when I finish everything. I can't wait to see those beautiful eyes light up when she gets to see the marital tiara that will belong to her.

No one will ever be as stunning as her, and I can't wait to see what she will look like on our wedding day. I am going to be able to give myself to the only one I will truly love forever.

All of this is for you, Caroline Rose. All of it.

ϟ ϟ


	24. twenty-four.

T W E N T Y — F O U R  
T H E O D O R E

I thought my castle crumbled overnight, they brought a knife to a gunfight. They want my crown, but it's alright.

All these roses grew back as thorns, all their drama queens taking swings and the jokers dressing up as kings.

Revelations change our outlook on cold, hard cash, and pretty faces are created to tranquilize your motivation. You can look for sleep, but prepare for loneliness.

Multiply.

Play dead.

You need to have balls in order to carry the masses. If you can undress it, you can worship it. Never stop being destructive.

Look in the mirror and say— you look brainwashed.

Always hate your dreams, you'll get them regardless.

I'm not going to stop until my daddy tells me he's proud of his baby boy.

When you're a king, there are certain things that you're going to have to go through with a headstrong persona and confidence. Although I had blood spilling on the Asian rug in the main hall, I sorta like the new look it gave.

Everyone knows that I'm a force to be reckoned with, and if they attempt to come after me, they'll be put down like a rabid fucking wolf. I'm not afraid to run you over with a bulldozer if I have to.

Leyton and Peyton had been following me around like lost puppies, and to be honest, I was all for it. It's important that they know that their daddy is here for them and it doesn't matter what the situation is, they can come to me for everything.

My vodka was waiting for me beneath the balcony. It had been a stressful day, and this was going to be one of the only times I actually had to relax and take this legacy in. I've worked hard, and I'm never going to grow old of seeing what I created.

Jedidiah, Milo, Penelope, Prince, Reece, Alessandro, and Graham were all gone by this point, and I began to realize the amount of irritation they all caused me. I could feel my shoulders becoming less tense, and that was all because I didn't have to deal with those fuckers anymore.

I had high hopes for Graham, I really did, but he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, and even though I would have preferred to keep him in the kingdom, it's clear that the universe had a different plan for him.

He was a good man, and he was very genuine. Graham was a man who could balance the weight of the world on his shoulders and I was able to admire that while it lasted. It's a shame that he didn't make it til the end, I was really rooting for him.

People don't die so that you'll mourn them. After it happens, continuously bitching and crying isn't going to get you anywhere in life. You remember them, and then you move on. You aren't supposed to stay in the past, the only way is up because the future is waiting.

Carl and I fucked for a little while, but after a bit, I decided I wanted to spruce things up. I brought the ball gag out for him, the clit vibrator for myself, and I also took the risk and tied his wrists to the bed to ensure that he wouldn't move or break free.

To be honest, sex with him is absolutely and utterly incredible, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Every time we go at it, it gets better and better. Our orgasms become stronger and the ecstasy is inevitably stunning.

I wanted to try something else, so I took it upon myself to bring in Avery, Peyton and Leyton, and Melbourne.

There was an image in my head that I couldn't shake, and so I had to bring some of my boys in. This would completely take things all the way, and I was so ready to see the love of my life be totally wrecked by me, Avery, and Beau.

Avery took the gag out of Carl's mouth and replaced it with his large, thick cock. Carl could barely contain his excitement, and was choking and crying within seconds.

As I fucked Carl, Melbourne fucked me. I had Peyton sitting up on my shoulders with my mouth over his pretty little pink pussy, and Leyton was in the same position with Beau.

These fuckers are the sunshine on my rainy day, and I love all of them to death. Regardless of whether they're here or not, I love them. Lux, Dresden, Emilio, Avery, Harmony, Leyton and Peyton— I love them.

I'm an affectionate man. I'm not afraid to show my love for the people who are important to me. I hug and I kiss and I fuck and I do everything in my capability. I'm quite in touch with my intimate side, and I don't like to hide that. If they're a part of my family, then I'm going to love them forever.

In my eyes, intimacy is the key to happiness. I think it's very important, and I'm not opposed to showing my love for both men and women. I'm a man of many sides, and I'm not going to change that for anyone. If I trust you, I trust you. Don't let me down.

Having the boys and I squirt and cum all over Carl was the highlight of my night. Peyton and Leyton's small, feminine bodies hold more essence than I had expected, and looking at them just made me fall in the love with the bond that I have with them.

Gender-fluidity is so natural and beautiful, and I don't know anyone who doesn't find their bodies to be absolutely stunning. Not only are they pure, but they're utterly radiant and every touch is like the thrill from a rollercoaster.

Carl, Leyton, and Peyton will always be shining with femininity and a goddess-like aura. They're baby girls in my eyes, and I don't think anything could change that. They know that they can be real with me, I will never find myself in a place where I don't support and love them.

The three of them are so special, and I want to share their beauty with the world. I think it's important to stick to your guns and never back down from what you think is extraordinary.

Afterwards, I was still lying naked in bed with the three of them. Carl positioned himself on my body, and the twins took their respective sides on the right and left of me. This is love. This is real love.

I was given the chance to make out with each of them over and over again, one by one. Peyton, Carl, Leyton. Peyton, Carl, Leyton. Peyton, Carl, Leyton.

Obviously, I had to throw a little bit of tongue in there too. It would be a crackin' good time if I didn't push my tongue past their lips for a little while.

The four of us were content, and I wasn't planning on moving any time soon. I made sure to let Avery and Melbourne know that they were more than welcomed to come join us on my master bed, but I wasn't sure if they'd actually come or not.

Eventually, Avery, Beau, Dresden, Emilio, and Castello all came by and settled in somewhere comfortable. I find the human body to be stunning, and I highly encourage everyone to show them off. They need to know that they're beautiful and I want to make sure that they are fully relaxed when shedding their clothes.

Barefoot, nude, tired, and highly elated. There's a good chance that my mood was being elevated a few more notches than usual due to the fact that Dresden found the best weed he could get his hands on.

I was used to the regular shit, but after a while, it become a little boring and we were all looking for something to take us up a few levels again. Beau, Dresden, Avery, Emilio, and Castello were all joining me in getting high.

We decided to go slow to ensure an even better experience, and I couldn't have been happier. I don't know how long it had been since I just smoked weed naked in bed, but I really fuckin' missed it.

This is what I've been waiting for. I have been doing everything in my ability to create my own kingdom to carry on the Averescu legacy, and this was the cherry on top of the sundae. You don't get this type of luxury anywhere.

I had been waiting for Sebastian to come through the bedroom doors, but it wasn't until an hour later when he was finally dropping his clothes onto the floor and sneaking into bed next to me, in between Beau and I.

To be honest, it felt like it had been awhile since I was fully able to lay down with Sebastian and have a good time with him. We didn't have to talk or move or do anything, we just enjoyed the company of one another, and I think that's one of the best kinds of relationships.

I have never doubted his intentions. It's clear that he's a trustworthy and genuine man, and I'm proud to call him my friend, my brother, my right-hand man. He goes above and beyond for me and the kingdom, and that's a debt I'll never be able to pay back.

No one was interested in moving and speaking or making an attempt to do something different. We were all close to just going to bed together and going back to our routines in the morning. I didn't have anything important to do other than to keep Carl in my arms for as long as possible.

Happiness lasts forever in the Averescu family. We work fucking day and night for what we want, get what we want earn, and we have the luck of getting everything done. We're deserving men, and anyone who disagrees is a delusional lunatic. My family's legacy is going to live on forever.

When Carl and I decide to start our family, he's going to give me the two sons I've been dreaming of having since I was 9 years old.

I'm a 25 year old man now, and this 15 year old is going to continue changing my life forever. Carl is incredible, and I'm the luckiest man who's ever existed because I'm the lucky bastard that gets to have him for the rest of my life.

I'm the first man to ever treat Carl like the princess he truly is. I'm his world, his everything, his boyfriend, his husband, his daddy, the father of his children— I'm everything he'll ever need me to be, and that's never going to change. I'm truly in love, and this was worth the wait.

Not many people have these types of opportunities, and I know that I'm a lucky son of a bitch. I'm never going to take any of this for granted. The life I've been working hard for is finally here, and I can't wait to show my daddy that I did everything he taught me.

I wouldn't be here without my boys, though. You can't go through life without at least a little help once in a while, and although all these people are ones I need to thank— I owe my life to Emilio solely due to the fact that he's been the best brother I could ever ask for.

If you shove away the fucking and the kissing and the cuddling and the ups and downs, he's still been by my side for a good portion of my journey, and if I ever lose him, a lot of this won't feel worth it.

It won't feel complete.

Emilio Luciano Cristóbal Garcia is a man sent down from the heavens. You don't come across people like him. He's lovable, and caring, and intelligent, and fucking incredible.

This is for my daddy, and this is for me, but fuck it, this is for Emilio and Carl.

ϟ ϟ


	25. twenty-five.

T W E N T Y — F I V E  
T H E O D O R E

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the union of Aerick Fitzgerald Grimes and Theodore Chance Averescu in holy matrimony. This is a day of great celebration and reverence, on which we come together before the Universe to recognize and commemorate the sacred love and dedication shared between these two people. It is wonderful to have family and friends here to join us today. The bride and groom would like to thank their guests for being here, and would like you to know that each of you were invited here on this day because you have played an integral part in their intertwining lives.

"I'M GOING TO MARRY YOU, AND THEN I'M GOING TO MARRY YOUR DAUGHTER."

Nothing happens without a cause. The union of this man and man has not come about accidentally but is the foreordained result of many past lives. This tie can therefore not be broken or dissolved.

In the future, happy occasions will come as surely as the morning. Difficult times will come as surely as night. When things go joyously, meditate according to the Buddhist tradition. When things go badly, meditate.

"AND THEN I'M GOING TO FUCK YOUR DAUGHTER UNTIL SHE'S CRYING AND UNCONSCIOUS ALL WHILE YOU WATCH US."

Meditation in the manner of the Compassionate Buddha will guide your life.

To say the words love and compassion is easy. But to accept that love and compassion are built upon patience and perseverance is not easy.

In the time that Aerick Fitzgerald Grimes and Theodore Chance Averescu have spent together, they've built the sturdy foundation for a lifelong relationship. After a great deal of thoughtful consideration, they have decided to bind themselves to one another for the rest of their lives.

May you all remember and cherish this sacred ceremony, for on this day, with love, we will forever bind Aerick Fitzgerald Grimes and Theodore Chance Averescu together.

"Who gives this bride today?"

"I do."

"DRESDEN AVERY HILLIARD, IF THERE IS ANYONE IN ATTENDANCE BEHIND YOU WHO HAD CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS COUPLE SHOULD NOT BE JOINED IN MARRIAGE, YOU MAY SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE."

"If any of you stand up, I will blow your fucking brains out right in front of Teddy."

Marriage is a sacred ceremony. Today we observe the union of these two people with the respect the occasion warrants. What we honor with reverence, however, we also celebrate with great joy! For married life – a shared life – is a tremendous blessing.

Now, as Aerick Fitzgerald Grimes and Theodore Chance Averescu embark on this journey together, they will be able to nurture a love that makes each of them better versions of themselves. Marriage is, indeed, the perfect garden from which to sow and harvest personal growth.

Aerick Fitzgerald Grimes and Theodore Chance Averescu, learn to work together, to laugh together, and to love together. Don't get caught up in worldly things that will draw you apart. Instead, focus on your shared devotion and turn inward. As your relationship strengthens you will find that you come to share a remarkable love; a love that is both abundantly given and freely accepted.

The joy you'll find as you pursue your shared lives will fuel you to face head-on the challenges you'll encounter on this Earth. On your journeys together, keep your spouse in the space of highest priority in your heart. The love you share must be guarded and cherished, it is your most valuable treasure.

Under the eyes of the Universe, I solemnly consecrate these matrimonial proceedings and the sacred covenant you shall both enter into on this day.

Marriage is an ancient rite. As you enter into this union, you are choosing to take part in a historical human establishment and are pledging your commitment before the witnesses present here today to enter into that tradition with honor.

Heed in particular the advice of the Buddha in his sermon at Rajagaha,

"CHERISH GOOD WILL RIGHT AND LEFT, EARLY AND LATE, AND WITHOUT HINDRANCE, WITHOUT STINT, BE FREE OF HATE AND ENVY, WHILE STANDING AND WALKING AND SITTING DOWN, WHATEVER YOU HAVE IN MIND, THE RULE OF LIFE THAT IS ALWAYS BEST IS TO BE LOVING, KIND."

Aerick Fitzgerald Grimes and Theodore Chance Averescu, the sacred vows that you make to one another today present you with the opportunity to express your love in your own words. I would at this time invite you to publically declare these vows.

"Theodore Chance Averescu, you may now make your promise."

"I, THEODORE CHANCE AVERESCU, TAKE YOU, AERICK FITZGERALD GRIMES, FOR MY LAWFULLY WEDDED HUSBAND, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, FOR RICHER OR POORER. I PROMISE TO BE TRUE TO YOU IN GOOD TIMES AND IN BAD, IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH. I WILL LOVE YOU AND HONOR YOU ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, UNTIL DEATH DO US PART. THIS IS MY SOLEMN VOW."

"Under the eyes of the Universe, Theodore Chance Averescu, do you take Aerick Fitzgerald Grimes to be your lawfully wedded husband? By making this commitment, you are joining in the covenant of marriage. Do you promise to honor him in love, to be sensitive to his needs, to comfort him in difficulty, and to put your full and complete trust in him, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Very well."

"I, THEODORE CHANCE AVERESCU, GIVE YOU AERICK FITZGERALD GRIMES THIS RING AS A SYMBOL OF MY LOVE AND COMMITMENT. WITH THIS RING, I THEE WED."

"By the power vested in me, by the Universal Life Church and by the state of Virginia, I pronounce you, Aerick Fitzgerald Grimes and Theodore Chance Averescu as husband and husband, lawfully wedded before the Universe."

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PRESENT TO YOU MR. AND MR. AERICK FITZGERALD GRIMES AND THEODORE CHANCE AVERESCU AVERESCU!"

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this beautiful day to witness the union of Caroline Rose Grimes and Theodore Chance Averescu in holy matrimony.

This is a day of great celebration and reverence, on which we come together before the Universe to recognize and commemorate the sacred love and dedication shared between these two people. It is wonderful to have family and friends here to join us today. The bride and groom would like to thank their guests for being here, and would like you to know that each of you were invited here on this day because you have played an integral part in their intertwining lives.

Marriage is, truly, a magical gift. As Mark Twain noted,

"MARRIAGE MAKES OF TWO FRACTIONAL LIVES A WHOLE, AND IT GIVES TO TWO PURPOSELESS LIVES A WORK... IT GIVES TO TWO QUESTIONING NATURES A REASON FOR LIVING, AND SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR; IT WILL GIVE A NEW GLADNESS TO THE SUNSHINE, A NEW FRAGRANCE TO THE FLOWERS, A NEW BEAUTY TO THE EARTH, A NEW MYSTERY TO LIFE."

"Who gives this bride today?"

"I do."

"CASTELLO PEYTON MAKHANI HOLLINGSWORTH, IF THERE IS ANYONE IN ATTENDANCE BEHIND YOU WHO HAD CAUSE TO BELIEVE THAT THIS COUPLE SHOULD NOT BE JOINED IN MARRIAGE, YOU MAY SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE."

"These fuckers know better, baby boy."

"I, CAROLINE ROSE GRIMES, TAKE YOU, THEODORE CHANCE AVERESCU, FOR MY LAWFULLY WEDDED HUSBAND, KING, AND GOD, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, FOR RICHER OR POORER. I PROMISE TO ALWAYS BE TRUE TO YOU IN GOOD TIMES AND IN BAD, IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH. I WILL LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND HONOR YOU ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE, UNTIL DEATH DO US PART. THIS IS MY SOLEMN VOW."

"MY EYES HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS CLEAR,  
MY PACE HAS NEVER BEEN THIS FREE,  
MY PATH HAS NEVER BEEN THIS AMAZING,  
MY HEART HAS NEVER BEEN SO ENTHRALLED,  
MY TEARS HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SWEET,  
MY REALITY HAS NEVER BEEN MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN MY DREAMS,  
MY EARS HAVE NEVER HEARD SUCH WONDROUS SOUNDS UNTIL THE DAY I LOVE YOU WAS WHISPERED FROM THE LIPS OF AN ANGEL.  
MY SOUL HAS FOUND ITS OTHER HALF & I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL THAT IT IS YOU.

WITH THAT SAID,  
I VOW TO HONOR, CHERISH,  
LOVE AND PROTECT YOU  
WITH EVERYTHING I AM AND WILL BE.

I VOW THAT EVERYDAY I'LL WAKE UP  
AND BE SO THANKFUL THAT WE'RE TOGETHER  
AND THAT I'LL ALWAYS BE BY YOUR SIDE.

AND I VOW THAT THIS LOVE   
WILL BE AS GREAT AS THE BEST FAIRY TALE  
AND A DREAM COME TRUE.

I LOVE YOU SO FUCKING MUCH, CAROLINE ROSE. TO THE MOON AND BACK, TO INFINITY AND BEYOND, AND THEN SOME.  
FOREVER AND ALWAYS."

I made sure it was dark so that Caroline Rose would not be able to see anyone else in the room. I was pleasantly happy with the fact that Rick Grimes would be watching me fuck his daughter so hard from the corner of the room, in the shadows.

He would have absolutely no choice but to reach between his legs and take care of that frustrating boner that leaked pre-cum from his swollen red tip.

Emilio offered to keep him handcuffed every now and then to edge him more and more. As soon as he gets to the point where he needs to have that sexy fucking climax, I'll have his hands tied behind his back, eliminating any chance of him getting what he severely needs.

With my hands wrapped around her neck, I kiss her perky breasts, allowing myself to lap up a small bit of her milk. This was my opportunity to turn this whole situation upside down and be completely honest with her.

She's my wife, she's the love of my life, and she deserves to know everything about me. I haven't been lying, I just haven't felt the need to tell her the bitter truth about this. She loves me, and I know she'll understand.

"MY DADDY TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE A MAN. MY DADDY TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING I KNOW. MY DADDY MADE SURE I WAS HIS LITTLE PRINCE AND I WOULDN'T BE THE HANDSOME KING I AM WITHOUT HIM. CASTELLO AND DRESDEN RUN A CULT, AND WE'RE ALL FUCKING BRILLIANT. I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT FOR THE WORLD. IT'S MY OBLIGATION TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD AND TO BE THE BEST HUSBAND I CAN TO YOU. AS THEIR CULT GOD, IT'S MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PUNISH, DISCIPLINE, FUCK, TEACH, AND DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MAKE US STRONGER. I'M ALWAYS GOING TO BE YOUR STUNNING DADDY, AND YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE MY GOOD GIRL."

She curls her bare toes before allowing me to kiss them, edging her to yet another squirting tsunami.

"PEYTON AND LEYTON AND HARMONY AND ALL THOSE STUNNING MOTHERFUCKERS ARE MY BABIES, MY BROTHERS, MY FAMILY. I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR A LONG TIME, AND I HAD YOU WRAPPED AROUND MY FUCKING FINGER IN NO TIME. OUR LOVE IS REAL, OUR LOVE IS SO FUCKING REAL AND I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT FOR THE WORLD. YOU ARE THE MOST PRECIOUS BABY GIRL I HAVE EVER LAID MY EYES ON, AND I OWE YOU EVERYTHING. I'M MADLY FUCKING IN LOVE WITH YOU, AND THAT IS NEVER GOING TO CHANGE. WE'RE MARRIED, YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THE BITTER TRUTH OF IT ALL. I WON'T LET YOU SMOKE THE WEED OR SNORT THE COCAINE, BUT YOU CAN BET YOUR ASS I AM GOING TO FUCKING LOVE YOU FOR THE REST OF MY FUCKING LIFE."

"I love you, Theodore."

"MY DADDY IS GOING TO BE IN YOUR LIFE EVEN MORE THAN HE ALREADY IS. YOU HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA. HE HAS BEEN SO EXCITED FOR ME TO MARRY YOU, AND HE'S GOING TO BE THE BEST GRANDADDY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. WE ARE GOING TO START THAT FAMILY YOU AND I HAVE BEEN WHISPERING ABOUT FOR MONTHS. I'M GOING TO SUFFOCATE YOU WITH MY LOVE, AND THAT RING AIN'T FAKE SHIT, BABY. THE PAPERS, THE SEX, THE KISSES, THE CUDDLES, THE HUGS, THE RING, THE CEREMONY, THE NICKNAMES— YOU'RE MY BABY GIRL, I'M SO FUCKING LUCKY TO HAVE YOU, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE THE HAPPIEST COUPLE TO EVER GRACE THE EARTH."

Caroline Rose, you make me so happy. I can't believe how in love I am with you. It's incredible. I will never stop loving you, and I hope that you'll never stop loving me. Thank you for making me a better man, and thank you for making me the luckiest son of a bitch ever.

ϟ ϟ

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Walsh is now available on my profile.
> 
> Thank you for everything. Honestly, if Averescu hadn't done this well, I would have definitely avoided continuing the rest of this series. You were all super fucking sweet and helpful and beautiful and kind— so thank youu :-)
> 
> I love you very much, to the moon and back, and then some.  
> x x your daddy kenz

**Author's Note:**

> There will be (VERY) underage relationships, non-graphic and graphic smut, smut between minors and adults, lots of inappropriate content, trans characters, swearing, and a good chance of small unrealistic events... but it is an apocalypse, after all.
> 
> It's fuckin' fiction, it's not real. Please remember that this is all imaginary.
> 
> If you aren't interested in putting up with those things, I completely understand and respect your decision. You are absolutely not obligated to read something that you do not like.
> 
> ☓ ☓


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